


Let's Show Them We Are Better

by OliviaJacobs



Series: We Could Be Beautiful [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Drinking, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, Drunkenness, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Gladio is a little rough around the edges?, Heartache, Jealousy, Kingsglaive Spoilers, Mixed Signals, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Pre-Canon, Pre-Kingsglaive, Rejection, Sex, Slow Burn, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Vanilla, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-11-10 14:27:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11128725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaJacobs/pseuds/OliviaJacobs
Summary: Gladious Amicitia and Mia Cameron have been best friends since the day they met outside of The Citadel. They spent their evenings drinking together and sharing their darkest secrets to one another. There was nothing that could come between the two.But, when Gladio notices Mia's feelings for Nyx Ulric, it starts to create friction between them. Will their friendship survive?





	1. How Could I Let You Fall By Yourself?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!  
> This is my second fiction ever (I needed a distraction from finishing my first, of course!). I have always liked Nyx as a character and I am loving the fiction I have seen others write about him so far. I am not sure how many chapters this will be but I appreciate you taking the ride with me. Thank you for reading :) 
> 
> Enjoy :D

Nyx Ulric was one of the youngest Kingsglaive members with stunning bright blue eyes and dark brown hair that moved almost perfectly with him. He was fondly called ‘Hero’ by other ranking members in public and he was deserving of such a title. The crow’s foot tattoo across his right cheek and the line and dot under his left eye made him stand out among the crowd. He had other markings as well but not as visible as the rest. While he wore the same uniform as the other Kingsglaive members, he proudly wore a horn over his shoulder like a badge of honor. Pieces of purple fabric danced behind him as he walked making him even less anonymous to those in Insomnia. He was always known to be kind to those around him and would give his life to anyone who was deserving.

Nyx Ulric waltzed across the sky while tossing his dagger through the air every day. Women were smitten by just hearing his name across someone’s lips. But, Nyx politely declined all of them. His work was his focus and he didn’t need any type of distraction. He was always indebted to King Regis, though few knew the real reason why.

Nyx Ulric was selfless. He came from a land that not many people understood. There was a somberness about him though he would never let anyone that close to figure out what it all meant. He was the center of many rumors among the citizens of Insomnia who created stories and a blinding past that wasn’t even remotely true.

Nyx Ulric was --

“An asshole. Stay away from him.” Gladio barked across the bar table. His ale stained hand was gripped tightly around his wooden cup as he sunk further into the booth.

Mia shook her head from her thoughts and looked back over at Gladio. She hadn’t noticed that she was staring across the room at Nyx, Libertus, and their friends as they told their epic tales from the morning battle. Nyx’s laugh is what truly grabbed her attention away from Gladio for a few moments. It was contagious and sparked a fire in Mia that she couldn’t put out. From what she could quickly piece together, she was guilty of losing herself and Gladio easily saw right through her. He could have been scolding her for that amount of time but Mia wouldn’t let it sour the rest of their night.

It was a normal evening for Gladio and Mia in a small dive bar on the edge of Insomnia. It was a haven for Insomnia’s elite and hidden from the eyes of the citizens. Mia spent many nights with Gladio in the protective walls and shared some of her darkest secrets across one too many beers.

It had been about five years since she first met Gladio outside of The Citadel. She found him charming and insanely attractive but instantly formed a friendship instead of pursuing him. Gladio liked her because she didn’t judge him for what he was training to be. She treated him with respect in the royal eye but when they were alone, she could talk to him as if he was a regular citizen. She wasn’t fazed by who his father was or even phased by King Regis but she made sure to mind her manners when the timing was right. She was still attracted to him and even flirted with him lightly from time to time but nothing came of it. If anything, Mia found it to be a fun way to pass the time and knew that they would never share anything more than their blossoming friendship. Gladio had grown to treat her like he did his sister, Iris, which Mia found endearing.

Every evening, when Gladio had finished training, they would meet and unwind together - usually at a bar - and drink until they were sure they could forget about the events of the day. Getting into bars became an easy feat when no one questioned the large muscular Shield-in-Training who could rip them into pieces with just a stare.

Tonight was no different as she took a deep gulp out of her ale and wiped the residue off of her lips with the back of her sleeve.

“Who was to say I was even interested, Gladdy?”

“You stared his way for over five minutes. I would assume that means you’re interested.”

“I spaced out, Gladdy. Don’t worry about it.” Mia took her final sip out of her glass before reaching to grab Gladio’s. She wanted to ask him more about his hatred for Nyx but she had another idea.

“Mia, it’s my round.” Gladio protested with an arched eyebrow.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I’ll take care of this one.” Before he could protest even further, Mia was already walking away from the table to the bartender. Gladio’s back was turned towards her -- something she had made sure of before placing the empty glasses on the bar. He had started to type furiously on his phone and became engrossed in it. Mia guessed he was talking to Ignis, though she couldn’t be entirely sure from the distance she created. The bartender was quick to walk by her and made no small talk about what she was interested in. While he poured two more glasses filled with ale, she glanced over her shoulder to look at Nyx again but this time she was hoping he would look back. The sound of the pouring ale was like a timer for her and she needed to get his attention quick before the bartender came back with their drinks.

After a few seconds, Nyx looked up from his group of friends and met eyes with her. It was for a moment but it felt like an eternity. The room had stood still and his friends began to laugh slower and slower until the sounds were completely silenced. There was a small smirk that came across his face as she looked at him and she became a melted mess.

Every single one of her flirting tactics had left her brain instantly. Was she supposed to smile back? Was she supposed to say something? What if he was staring at a flaw about her?

Quicker than she hoped for, two large glasses of ale were slammed on the wood plank in front of her. Mia shook her head and faced towards the bar with an awkward smile. The bartender didn’t question it and immediately walked away to add to their growing tab. Slowly, Mia picked up the two glasses of ale by the handles and turned around to walk back to the table. She wasn’t sure if Nyx was still looking or if he had moved to something else but she didn’t plan on checking. The closer she got to the table, the hotter her skin became.

After setting the glasses down, she found her seat and took a huge drink from her cup. There was no use with making eye contact with Gladio just yet. He was still typing furiously on his phone when she returned.

“Iggy?” Mia asked curiously.

“Yeah. We are just talking about Kingsglaive things.” Gladio’s voice was a bit different than usual.

“So, tell me more about your day?”

“Training with Noctis today. He’s getting better as time progresses but I am not sure how good he’s gonna be when the time comes. He just is a bit cocky.”

“He’s young, Gladdy.”

“But, he’s growing up to be of age soon. I don’t want to fail King Regis, you know?”

“Gladdy,” Mia reached over to grab for Gladio’s hand and started to rub her thumb gently over his knuckles. “You’re doing an amazing job training Noct. I know he will be ready. Don’t doubt yourself like that, okay?”

“I know. I just worry. He mouths off to Iggy. He’s always spending late nights doing Six knows what with Prompto. I just don’t want him to fuck the whole thing up. He can be such a spoiled brat sometimes that it drives me fucking insane.”

“Anyone would be lucky to be surrounded by kick ass people like you and Iggy. I am not even concerned with it. With all this talk about stress this week, it sounds like we need a vacation. What do you say? Let’s go for a nice weekend in Galdin.”

“That sounds good,” Gladio smiled and looked up at her. There was something he was holding back and Mia could see it in his face. But, before she could ask, his expressions went back to normal. “And maybe it is time for a vacation.”

“Just think, Gladdy! Sunshine, beaches! We could spend the entire day inside if you wanted to. I’ll even get up early to run with you!”  
“Can you even keep up?” Gladio laughed, pulling his hand away gently from her grip.

“Oh, you’re the worst. I totally could!”

“If I let you,” Gladio paused to take a drink from his cup before setting it back down. He took in a deep sigh before looking at Mia. Her skin was starting to cool down and she took in a deep inhale while looking down at the table. “What’s on your mind, Mia?”

“Nothing! Just excited about the possibility of going on a trip with you, Gladdy.” Mia lied through her teeth and Gladio didn’t fail to notice.

“You tell me everything. Come on, doll.”

“Well,” Mia’s face turned a bit before she took in another deep breath. “I am not like interested in Nyx. But, I am curious as to what your issue is with him. Just so I know, I guess.”

“He’s good at what he does,” Gladio leaned back with one arm propped up on the back of the booth. “I will never deny him of that. I just don’t trust him. He’s cocky. He’s shortsighted. He might know his way around a blade but he truly has a hero complex and that makes him an asshole.”

The ale started to swirl around in Mia’s head. The room began to shift slightly and she could feel the smile creep across her face. She wasn’t drunk enough to be bold with Gladio just yet. Mia felt her head move forward in a nod to acknowledge what Gladio was saying. The tension between them grew by the second.

“Okay. Thank you for explaining it to me.”

“Look, he’s Kingsglaive. I have to work with him. You have to respect him. Just don’t get involved with him. For me.” Gladio was stern in his words but Mia wasn’t about to make him a promise she couldn’t keep. She didn’t understand why Nyx was the one person in all of Insomnia that Gladio asked her to stay away from. He complained about countless people in the past year alone that he hated but none of them were off limits like this.

“I’ll be careful, Gladdy.”

A few beats flew by them as they dodged eye contact with one another.

“You want to get out of here?” Gladio broke the silence with a few slurred words. He felt the pressure, too, and didn’t want to stay around to make it worse.

“Yeah. We can go. Walk me home?”

\---------------------

Insomnia at night was a spectacle that the citizens never grew tired of. The Citadel shined brightly in the center and the streets were bustling with the evening bar crowds. Mia and Gladio became so accustomed to this route that they could walk it blind. She found Gladio’s arm, as she usually did, and leaned against him for balance as they walked. The ale was starting to hit Mia a little bit harder with each step and the world around them began to swirl. The walk home wasn’t a far one but it felt like it was with how slow they were moving. Mia’s whole body felt like liquid and the inebriated smile never left her face.

Once they reached Mia’s apartment, Gladio unlocked the door for her and lead her inside. Gladio knew she would be fighting a hangover in the morning. He quickly moved for the kitchen while she drunkenly locked the door behind her. After a few moments, he emerged with a glass of water and a handful of aspirin.

“Take these.” He hovered over her palm with a closed fist and dropped the pills against her skin.

“Fine.”

“And drink all of the water. When you’re done, you’re going to have one more glass or you’ll wake up with a hell of a hangover tomorrow.”

“Fine.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Thanks, Gladdy.”

After the evening ritual, Gladio walked her to her bed and made sure she was comfortable before retreating home. Mia’s room was spinning faster than she wanted and Gladio had become a complete blur to her. This wasn’t the first time that Gladio helped her to bed after a hazy evening. She trusted him. She knew he wouldn’t do anything that would break that expectation. Gladio finished his routine by pulling the blankets over her and leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead.

There was a bit of hesitation before he decided to leave. It wasn’t the first time he hesitated that evening. Mia’s vocabulary reverted to that of child and she couldn’t find the words to ask him what was wrong. Instead, a few mumbles and moans came from her. There had to be something going on with him but she decided she would ask him tomorrow instead. It was a toss-up on whether he would truly go home or crash on her couch. Just depended on how trashed he had become.

As he walked out of the bedroom, he flicked the lights off to send Mia into an intoxicated slumber. With the aspirin and water, she was confident in waking up without a problem in the morning. All she needed was for the Six to take her to dreamland and to sleep off what was making her dizzy.

Instead, she stayed awake for several hours thinking about Nyx instead.


	2. While I'm Wasted For Someone Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Gladio feels guilty for his words the night before, his bitterness continues to get the best of him. What could go wrong when Gladio leaves Mia to her own devices at The Citadel?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and being supportive!  
> I am having a blast writing it. :)

The sun crept through the windows next to Mia and kissed her face gently. The stinging pain of a hangover was banging against her temples but not as bad as it could have been. She quietly thanked the Six for an easier morning. Mia rolled over to block the inevitable sunrise and checked the time.  
   
_7:00 AM._  
   
“Ugh, why?” Mia mumbled to herself.  
   
Her eyes fluttered shut again to try to get more sleep since her evening was better spent thinking about Nyx. She tried to push him out of her head but he came back in full force. Before she could fall back into a deep slumber, heavy footsteps walked into her room.  
   
“Hey, princess.” Gladio’s voice was above a whisper. He appeared sitting at the side of her small bed. Mia felt her body slide down with Gladio’s weight which made it even harder to go back to sleep.  
   
“No.”  
   
“Do you want breakfast?”  
   
“Mm.” Mia responded, not fully awake.  
   
Gladio’s hand gently squeezed her leg to keep her awake. “Is that a yes or a no? Use your words.”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Okay. How’s your head?”  
   
“Not as bad as it could be.”  
   
“You’re welcome.”  
   
She smirked. “Thank you, Gladdy.”  
   
“Mia?” Gladio muttered, slightly frustrated.  
   
“Gladdy?”  
   
Gladio’s eyebrows furrowed together before he took a moment to collect his thoughts.  
   
“I am sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to get so heated about Nyx at the bar.”  
   
“It’s okay, Gladdy.” Mia sounded sincerely in accepting his apology.  
   
“I just,” Gladio paused and moved his hand to run his fingers gently across her cheek. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I care about you.”  
   
“I know.” Mia nodded and pushed her cheek into his palm. He was warm to the touch. “But, I am a big girl, Gladdy. I can make my own decisions.”  
   
Gladio retracted his hand slowly and ran it through his hair.  
   
“You are, Mia. I know. I just really don’t want you to waste time with assholes. I don’t want to have to break another guy’s face for hurting you.”  
   
Mia chuckled to herself remembering the last time an ex-boyfriend crossed her. It took Gladio only half an hour to find him a random crowded club in Insomnia before making him regret ever making Mia cry.  
   
“Okay. I’ll stay away from Nyx,” She paused and quickly sped up her speech. “Unless it’s for stupid royal reasons that would otherwise be a bad reflection of you and the Crownsguard.” She had the talk about manners in the presence of the elite with Gladio too many times.  
   
“I ain’t gonna judge you if you’re in The Citadel.” Gladio retorted with a laugh.  
   
“Can we get breakfast at The Citadel?”  
   
“Yeah, sure. I have to be there to train Noct today, anyway.”  
   
“I can be ready in 15 minutes.” Mia sat up too quickly and groaned in response. “30 minutes.”  
   
“Okay, princess. I’ll be waitin’ for ya.”  
   
Knowing Mia was going to The Citadel, she had to dress somewhat professionally. Her previous night’s black dress and ripped stockings wouldn’t make the best impression for Gladio. Brushing her teeth was heavenly. The flavor of stale beer was out of her mouth and replaced with the refreshing taste of mint. After taking a quick shower and washing away her bad choices, she chose a light blue dress and brown wedges to give her a little height on her friend. Mia decided to leave her long jet-black hair down and spent little time on her makeup to achieve a more natural look. The black eyeliner made her green eyes pop and the white on her waterline would trick most of the people she saw into thinking she had plenty of sleep. As she stood in front of the mirror, she felt she needed to show a little less skin. Grabbing her white lace cardigan from the hanger, she headed for the front room to meet Gladio and head outside.  
   


\---------------------

   
Gladio and Mia walked with the morning traffic of Insomnia. Most people were running late or were forgetful in their travels. The walk from Mia’s to The Citadel wasn’t a long one. After a few feet, Mia started to feel a bit better. Her headache was beginning to fade but her stomach grumbled loud enough that even Gladio noticed.  
   
“Hungry?”  
   
“A little,” Mia held her stomach. The hangover started to move to the hunger phase - one Mia knew very well. “Okay, maybe like a lot.”  
   
“I called Iggy while you were getting ready. He was gonna make breakfast for Noct but he overslept from a long night and doesn’t plan on getting up soon.”  
   
“What do 18-year-old Princes even do that late at night?”  
   
“Unfortunately, whatever the fuck they want.” Gladio pulled open one of the doors to the side entrance and waited for Mia to enter before closing the door softly behind her. Going through the front door was unheard of unless it was official business. The Citadel was always hushed except for the movement of people through the corridors.  
   
The Crownsguard were lined at certain points during their stroll through The Citadel’s hallways. They gave a slight smile to Mia and a quick nod to Gladio as they both passed. Mia had performed the routine of returning the smile more times than she could remember. She knew the layout so well that she could interact with each member with her eyes closed if she wanted to. It was always, Miss Cameron when they spoke, never Mia.  
   
“If I was 18-years-old and a princess - “  
   
“You are a princess.” Gladio interrupted. Mia’s face scrunched into an angry one. “I am fucking teasing you, Mia. Go ahead.”  
   
“As I was saying. If _I_ was an 18-year-old princess, I would spend it doing more productive things. I think I would stroll around Insomnia and greet my future subjects. I would dance the night away with you. I would help others who needed it. I would study very hard and pay attention to everything Iggy said. I would host extravagant balls and invite the entire city of Insomnia to each one, too.”  
   
“Is this about you not being invited to the balls, Mia?”  
   
“I am just saying, I have never been is all.” Mia’s smile was wide as she batted her eyelashes up at Gladio. She had brought it up one too many times and Gladio would always have the same response for her.  
   
“Well, maybe you’ll get an invite someday,” Gladio continued to face forward nodding as he went. Mia dropped the subject and reminded herself to bring it up later. Again. Gladio would have to give in eventually and take her. “By the way, you look nice today. I like that color on you.”  
   
“Thanks, creep.” Mia snorted.  
   
“This is why I don’t say nice things to you.” Gladio gave her a light push while they walked. Mia shoved him back in response with a laugh. He was unmoved and she ended up pushing herself back off of him instead. He never roughhoused with her or gave her anything but a gentle tap once in a great while. Gladio was terrified of hurting her, even on accident, as sometimes he forgot about his own strength. Mia even tried to get him to fight her once or twice in a drunken standoff but she ended up falling into his chest and giving up quickly in a fit of giggles. Never harming Mia was important to him. It was an unspoken promise that Gladio made to himself.  
   
“Well, you look nice, too!” Gladio did look nice in his training clothes. He didn’t look too overdressed. When he wore his Crownsguard gear, Mia always felt awkward to even swear in front of him.  
   
“I wear this outfit literally every single fucking training day.”  
   
Mia mocked his voice terribly. “This is why I don’t say nice things to you.”  
   
“You want to run that by me again?”  
   
“No. I just want food.” She began to add a whine to her voice, tugging hard on Gladio’s sleeve.  
   
“Almost there.”  
   
Gladio turned an immediate right at the next intersection of hallways and smell of bacon flooded the air. Ignis’s cooking was getting better since Mia first tried it. He was experimenting with all the wrong seasonings and food combinations. But, Mia wanted to be supportive and swallowed all of it with a huge smile. Since then, he had started to improve his skill and try new recipes from neighboring cities and putting his own spin on them.  
   
When they reached the kitchen, Gladio popped his head in first and smiled when meeting eyes with Ignis.  
   
“Gladiolus. It’s good to see you,” Ignis nodded to Gladio before turning to smile at Mia. “Miss Cameron. I hope you’re doing well, my dear.”  
   
Mia smiled warmly at him. “I am. A little hungover though. Can you fix it?” Ignis was always listening to listen and not to respond. She had only known Ignis for about a year but he was always polite and kind to her. At first, she thought he was being overly formal with her but when she learned that was his personality, she started to relax more around him. He came out with Gladio and Mia once or twice drinking but would excuse himself after two rounds and turn in early. Ignis never judged them once for staying.  
   
“Princess had one too many ales last night.” Gladio rolled his eyes.    
   
“I have just the thing, Miss Cameron,” Ignis smiled and moved between the row of grills and metal tables. The heat of the grill was warming the room up nicely and Mia waited patiently. There were sounds of plates hitting one another and utensils pinging against the surface. Ignis was meticulous in his plating. It had to be perfect or it wasn’t worth serving. It was one of Mia’s favorite qualities about him. That and when he was focused he made the sweetest face at his ingredients.  
   
Eggs were tossed in the air. Bacon was flipped over and hissed. Bread jolted out of toaster and landed on the plate that Ignis used to catch it. The whole kitchen smelled divine. Whatever Ignis was cooking was the best meal she has ever had, Mia decided. Her hangover would be gone soon and she couldn’t wait to start the process.  
   
“Whatcha got, Iggy?” Mia tried to look over his shoulder regardless of the distance between them.  
   
“I have made you,” Ignis gestured her and Gladio over to stand at the metal prepping table. “Eggs in a basket with a side of crispy bacon and toast. A little runny on the eggs as you know you enjoy that, Miss Cameron. It’s not luxurious but it will take care of that hangover.”  
   
“Perfect,” Mia inhaled her food and hummed sounds of approval with each bite. Crumbs fell onto her dress and on the floor and she didn’t even care.  
   
“This one wants to go to a Lucian ball but can’t keep the food inside of her.” Gladio teased.  
   
Mia gulped loudly. “Shut up, Gladdy.”  
   
“Now, now, Gladio. Let the poor woman eat. She’s hungover and your teasing is probably making it worse.”  
   
“Yeah, Gladdy!” Mia stuck her tongue out at him.  
   
“You always take her side.” A smile crossed Gladio’s face while he took another bite of bacon. It was so crisp that each bite was loud enough for everyone to hear.  
   
“How was your evening? I am sure it wasn’t too long as you’re awake before Noct.” There was a hint of spite in Ignis’s voice and Gladio and Mia picked up on it immediately.  
   
“Fine. Had a few drinks. Nothing crazy.” Mia took her empty plate to a nearby sink and turned on the faucet to clean it. She knew that Gladio would make some smart comment and it would take all her willpower to not lunge at him.  
   
_Saw a hot guy. No big deal. Don't ask Gladio because he will act like I was interacting with a sex murderer._  
   
“Had to share the same breathing space with Nyx Ulric,” Gladio shoved the piece of toast forcefully into his mouth before continuing. He couldn’t leave that detail out even though Mia was sure that Ignis already knew from his texts the evening before. The Prince nor King were in any danger so what else would they talk about? “But, we left shortly after. Princess went to sleep pretty early.”  
   
“Well, that sounds just lovely,” Ignis heard him. He heard Nyx’s name. But, he wasn’t going to prod or push. Mia grunted at his words and continued to clean the plate under the running water. “What will you be doing today?”  
   
“I have training with Noct in an hour. Mia doesn’t work today so I guess she’s sticking around here, right Mia?”  
   
“Yeah.” Her voice had changed tone and she didn’t look up at Gladio. The whole situation had started to make her angry and she couldn’t control it much longer.  
   
“Miss Cameron, if you’d like, I’ll be in the library most of the day. I would be happy to teach you more history about Insomnia. You had such a fun time last time.” Ignis needed to give her an escape plan and it was handed to her. Learning from Ignis was an experience all on its own. He would teach and talk for hours but Mia would never grow bored. A few times she had spent an entire day with Ignis in the library, buried in books and the sound of of his echoed voice.  
   
“Sure.” Mia kept her head towards the plate that had been clean for some time. Spending time with Ignis would really clear her head but she needed to have a few minutes to herself. She spent the past week at Gladio’s hip and while she loved being with him, she needed some silence.  
   
“You okay?” Gladio sighed. The concerned look on his face disappeared and his eyes fell to the plate that was obviously blank. “Mia, the plate’s clean.”  
   
“It is. Sorry, I must have spaced out,” There was a soft sound of the plate hitting the drying rack followed by Mia walking back to the table with a smile. “I am going to walk the gardens for a bit if you guys don’t mind? I need the fresh air. Might help with the headache.”  
   
“Capital idea, Miss Cameron. I will wait for you in the library? Come by whenever you’d like.” Ignis left with a skip to his step and a small smile on his face. The two were alone in the room and for the first time in their friendship, both fell silent.  
   
Mia tried to walk by Gladio to leave for the gardens, but a hand reached up to grab her arm. She didn’t want to stay much longer or else she would give him an earful.  
   
“What’s bothering you? You have been weird since last night,” Gladio’s voice was troubled as he searched her eyes for an answer. “Did I say something to make you upset?”  
   
Mia kept Gladio’s hand on her arm and only moved to turn her head. “I am just - I am just tired, Gladio. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I am fighting a hangover. Don’t worry about it.” She purposely avoided his latter question.  
   
Gladio loosened his grip and smiled at her. “Alright. Enjoy the gardens. I’ll see you tonight?”  
   
“You bet. Have fun with our tired Noct.”  
   


\---------------------

The gardens behind The Citadel were one of Mia’s favorite places. It wasn’t large but it was big enough for someone to hide away. Sometimes, Mia would catch Prince Noctis roam them with Iris. Gladio mentioned that they had been doing it since they were children and never grew out of it. Crownsguard were lined up at every entrance but they never disturbed her when she was wandering through. In the center of the swirls of color and beautiful scents was a beautiful white fountain. A statue of Shiva in the middle that poured water from her puckered lips throughout the entire day. There was a perfect place to sit on the outer rim to let the sound take you away and clear your mind.  
   
When Mia reached the fountain, she drew in a deep breath and felt her shoulders drop. The entire garden was silent except a few morning birds greeting her from the trees. The raw feelings started to subside and she let herself be in the moment. She had usually brought a book to keep herself occupied but in the rush of the morning, she completely forgot. Instead, she pulled out her cellphone to scroll through her various library secrets.  
   
After about an hour, Mia had found herself in heaven with the silence that enveloped her and the warm sun rising against her skin. Gladio’s snide commentary left her brain with the clouds passing. While she flipped through her e-book, she could hear footsteps approaching behind her. Mia didn’t look up. The Crownsguard patrolled often and was part of the routine that Mia had grown accustomed to. The would walk by her and possibly greet her but wouldn’t stop to chat. When the steps stopped to the side of her, she looked up and turned to face them.  
   
“Hi there.” Nyx smiled down at her in his full Kingsglaive garb with his hands placed together neatly behind his back.  
   
Mia felt her cheeks run hot. “Hey.”  
   
“I am sorry for interrupting but I saw you at the bar last night and I thought it might be good to introduce myself instead of having a stare contest.”  
   
_I know who you are._  
   
“Oh. I am sorry if I was staring at you last night. One too many. Long day.” Mia could only muster out a string of jagged sentences.  
   
Nyx chuckled in response. “I am Nyx.”  
   
“Mia.” She extended her hand out to him.  
   
“Well, Mia, the Crownsguard seems to think you’re good enough to sit in The Citadel gardens without labeling you as a threat.”  
   
“Oh. I am friends with one of them.”  
   
“Which?” Nyx knew but he needed to hear her say it.  
   
_Shit._  
   
“Gladiolus Amicitia.” His name rolled off her tongue in flames. Nyx stiffened his posture while moving his head from side to side to crack his neck. Mia awkwardly smiled in response.  
   
“He’s a fantastic fighter.”  
   
“Yeah. He’s, um, he’s a very close friend of mine.” If Mia had any chance, she had to be open and honest about it.  
   
“I see. Well, do you mind if I sit with you for a minute?” Nyx’s expression shifted to a smirk with the change of subject.  
   
“Of course.” Mia scooted over a few inches so he had plenty of room to sit. Nyx was striking up close. His eyes were painfully blue and his movements made him a paragon to her. Mia’s heart skipped a few beats while he smoothed his jacket behind him before sitting.  
   
“So, not to sound corny but do you come here often?”  
   
Mia let out a soft laugh “Not corny. I am here once or twice a week. I usually spend time here or in the library with Ignis. It gives me a little peace to myself while learning about everything there is to know about Insomnia.”  
   
Nyx turned to look at her. “I dig that.”  
   
“You?” Mia felt her face flush again.  
   
_Six, Mia. Of course he is here often. He’s in the fucking Kingsglaive. _  
  
“Every day that ends in a ‘y’. It’s not a bad gig, though. Pretty good benefits. Good hours. My crew has become some of my best friends in all of Eos,” Nyx could sense her nervousness and smiled at her. “The transport powers are pretty cool, too.” Nyx winked at her.  
   
“I have heard about them from Ignis.” Mia saw him warp across the sky more times than she could count.  
   
“If you ever want to see it, I am happy to show you. It’s always a spectacle to most. I find it amazing and freeing being up in the air and letting the wind take you. Being able to shift quickly through streets. It’s a remarkable gift from King Regis. I could never thank him enough for trusting me with it. Maybe next time you’re here?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
“Enough about me, though. Tell me about you.”  
   
Mia cleared her throat and ran her hand over the back of her neck. “Well, I am originally from Lestallum. I moved here a few years ago,” Mia made sure to not make too much eye contact or she would revert to the vocabulary of a child. “I work a few days a week at a florist in Insomnia and then I just hang out here till Gladdy gets off. We usually hit the bars and head home to do the process all over again. We live a very exciting life, I promise.”  
   
“Rin’s Flowers?”  
   
Mia broke a smile in response. “Yeah! That’s the one. Best arrangements in Insomnia!”  
   
“I know the place. I walk by it every day.”  
   
“Oh, have you ever been inside? It always smells wonderful.”  
   
“Once or twice, yeah. Reasonable prices, too.” Nyx nodded.  
   
“I can hook you up with a discount sometime. Your girlfriend must be really lucky to get beautiful arrangements.” Mia felt bold in saying it even though she knew his relationship status.  
   
“I don’t have one of those,” Nyx paused and flashed a sly smirk at her. “Yet. Haven’t found the right girl, you know?”  
   
“I get those feelings,” Mia looked back down at her lap. “I haven’t really run into anyone to meet my standards yet.”  
   
“A vision like you? I am surprised,” Nyx was smug in his response and left Mia speechless for a moment. “I would think that you and Gladio would make a great pair.”  
   
Mia laughed at the thought of her and Gladio. “You’re kind. I don’t see Gladio like that. He’s a very attractive guy and he’s super sweet to me but I just can’t picture us together. He’s like my older brother. Even when I met him a while ago, I thought he was beautiful and all but we ended up being friends instantly.”  
   
“Well, then Insomnia is lucky to have such a bachelorette beauty like you existing in it.”  
   
“Okay, **that** was corny.” Mia felt more relaxed and gained enough courage to accessorize her words with a wink.  
   
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, right? I would be --” Nyx’s watch started beeping loud enough to break his train of thought. He looked down and tapped the screen a few times before losing his smirk. “I don’t mean to be a buzzkill but duty calls, Mia.”  
   
“Oh. Well, it was nice talking to you, Nyx.” Mia watched him stand and brush his jacket off. She wished he could stay a bit longer but was respectful of the job he had to do.  
   
“Maybe we can do this again sometime?”  
   
“I would like that.” Mia smiled and extended her hand forward to shake his.  
   
“See you around.” Nyx reached for her hand and kissed the top of her knuckles. It took everything in Mia to not release a nervous laugh or beg him to stay a bit longer. Her skin lit on fire while they locked eyes in the garden. The world around them slowed down again just like the night before until it was just the two of them. She wanted this moment to last long but it quickly faded when his lips pulled away. Once he released her, she let her hand fall next to her. Nyx turned on his heel and walked in a prideful stride towards the entrance to The Citadel.  
   
“I have got to talk to someone about this.” Mia muttered to herself. She felt she could gush from the rooftops to anyone that wanted to listen.  
   
Anyone but Gladio.__


	3. They'll Say That I Was Clever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mia learns about Gladio's past with Nyx through Ignis, she starts to question her feelings with Gladio. Will a confidence boost help the situation? Or will it make it worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! Woo!  
> Thank you guys so far for the comments and kudos.  
> You guys make me smile with each one! Much love to you guys, as always, for taking the time to read this. 
> 
> This chapter is a _little_ short but I promise next one will be much longer. 
> 
> I had a few people ask where the Chapter Titles are coming from. It is from the song _Paris_ by The Chainsmokers. I really dig it and I hope you do, too!

Ignis sat at one of five wood tables in the middle of The Citadel’s library. The table had a few short stacks of books that he had picked from the shelves. A few were open while he took down notes to compile the information he needed. He was surrounded with floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with information on the Eos. Ignis seemed to be one of the only people that utilized the library except when dragging Noct through the various rows to create a growing pile for his ‘homework’. The smell of old books was divine to his senses and turned around any day for him. The silence didn’t bother Ignis. In fact, he loved it. He could read in peace and take in as much knowledge as he wanted.  
   
The doorknob turned slowly but Ignis maintained reading. When he waited until the person walked in and shut the door, he let a moment pass before speaking.  
   
“Miss Cameron,” Ignis flipped through a few pages. “How was your stroll?”  
   
“Fine.” Mia wanted to burst into a full-blown discussion but she waited until Ignis was done with what he was doing.  
   
Ignis waved his hand at the chair that was directly across from him. “Miss Cameron, please sit. Whatever it is that you’re dying to tell me simply cannot wait.”  
   
“How did you --“ Mia made her way to the table and quickly sat with a puzzled look.  
   
“I am not blind, Mia,” Ignis began scribbling quickly in his notebook. “It was very obvious in how you held yourself this morning that something was clearly bothering you. Your speech was a bit more defensive than usual. You puffed up when Gladiolus mentioned Nyx and clearly were trying to maintain a cool head. Then, you came in here quietly with your face three different shades of ruby. That means something is rolling around in your head that you need to tell someone and you’re trying to contain it. You obviously can’t tell Gladiolus because you would have already.” Ignis put the pen down and smiled at her.  
   
“You always amaze me, Iggy.”

“Have to a keen observer for my role in Noct’s life. What can I help you with?”  
   
Mia took in a different breath. “Can you promise not to talk to Gladdy about it? Like even if he begs?”  
   
“Mum’s the word.” Ignis zipped his lips by running his gloved fingers across them.  
   
“Okay. So, last night, I saw Nyx across the bar. I have always been intrigued by him, right? But, last night something just drew me to him more. Gladdy noticed and got upset about it,” Mia looked at Ignis who was listing intently before continuing. “It seems him and Nyx have had something bad happen and he won’t talk to me about it but I also can’t talk to Nyx like ever?”  
   
Ignis inhaled deep. “Would you like to know why he is acting that way?”  
   
“Yes. He won’t be telling me any time soon.”  
   
“I need to start this by saying this is not your fault. Humans are attracted to other humans. That is inevitable. What you’re experiencing so far is natural with Nyx. He’s an attractive male that has a very unique look about him,” He stopped and shook his head. “But, the reason Gladiolus is so particular about this topic is,” Ignis took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Before you came into his life, he dated a girl named Allison Wicker, Allie, for about two solid years. They were madly in love and were very much like the two of you. Never leaving one another’s side. There was no Noct. No King Regis. No Insomnia. No Eos. No Six. Only Allie. It was probably the happiest I have ever seen Gladiolus in my lifetime. Then, King Regis rescued Nyx Ulric and Allie left Gladiolus for Nyx shortly after. Gladiolus was heartbroken, angry, and didn’t come out unless it was for work. We tried everything to help him get over it.”  
   
“He’s never mentioned her before.” Mia felt crushed. She thought she knew everything about him. That they could be open books to one another with no secrets left unsaid.  
   
“Allie became a little clingy to Nyx, something that he didn’t enjoy because his career is his primary focus. She truly cared about him only for who he was in the hierarchy. You could tell in the way she spoke about him to friends. All she cared about was she was dating Insomnia’s hero. Nyx for being well known and loved by Insomnia doesn’t make a lot of money nor does he hold a lot of status in the ranks. Allie loved the life Gladiolus gave her of attending formal parties, rub elbows with The Citadel’s best, tasting the life of royalty - when Nyx couldn’t give that to her, she had a breakdown. Nyx broke it off. Allie was embarrassed. She ran to Gladiolus who denied entry back into his life. She left for Altissa and no one has heard from her since.”  
   
Mia leaned back in her chair, mouth agape. “Six.”  
   
“So, circling the entire conversation back to your question. Gladiolus cares for you. He doesn’t want Nyx to take someone he loves like that again. You clearly are not fazed by the idea of social capital which makes you different.”  
   
“But we’re not together, Iggy.”  
   
“It’s all the same to him, Miss Cameron. He would react the same way if it was Iris. I quite enjoy Mister Ulric. He’s a formidable hero. He has done a lot for King Regis. But, at the same time, I watched Gladiolus go through real heartache and pain. So, unfortunately, I battle with it while trying to remain logical.”  
   
“Did Nyx ever talk to Gladdy?”  
   
“Nyx tried to. Gladiolus wouldn’t allow that. What I need to stress, however, is Nyx isn’t as bad as Gladiolus makes him, I can assure you that much. The heart will want what it wants. It was a sticky situation but it has been a few years. Gladiolus must move forward, in my own humble opinion. He shouldn’t get upset about two strangers looking at one another in bar.”  
   
“Iggy, there’s a bit more to this.”  
   
Ignis raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
   
“Nyx introduced himself to me in the garden. I don’t know if he was just being charming or if he was intentionally flirting with me but we have moved on from the strangers in a bar. I could be obsessing, I guess. He could have been just trying to be friendly which is fine, too. But, what do I tell Gladdy when I see him? I can’t just lie to him.”  
   
Ignis took a minute to put his glasses back on. “Your business with Nyx is your business, Miss Cameron. I will never advise you to lie to someone I hold dear. But, the details of your conversation can remain unsaid. You can’t ignore Nyx in a setting like The Citadel. It would be improper and most likely embarrass Gladio. He cannot be angry with you being kind to a stranger.”  
   
“And then?”  
   
“Mia, you have to do what is best for you. That’s the advice I can give you today. If there is something starting with Nyx? Gladio should learn to be happy for you. If your path takes you --”  
   
Mia interrupted him. “I am not interested in Gladio. Especially after today. I mean, when I first met him, sure, I thought he was hot. I really enjoyed getting to know him but after all this time, he’s just my friend. A close friend but nothing more. I am also a little bit hurt he couldn’t mention Allie to me.” 

“After snapping on you about Nyx, do you think he is not prideful enough to talk about Allie with you?” 

“Iggy, he never has mentioned her before. Ever.”

“Perhaps to move on. Maybe he doesn’t want you to worry. This is a conversation you should have with Gladiolus.” 

“He’s not going to tell me anything,’ Mia paused to control the anger in her voice. “I just feel like that’s unfair that he has to hide something that important from me after all of the times we have admitted secrets to one another.”

“Yet, you are here trying to figure out a way to keep your interaction with Nyx a secret, Miss Cameron? Apologies for the boldness but -- ”

She quickly cut off Ignis from continuing. Mia could feel her skin grow warm in the anger she was harboring. “Listen, thank you for talking me through this, Iggy. But, it’s a different situation that I am going through right now with Nyx. I think I need to collect all of my feelings on this before seeing what I want to do.”  
   
“Very well. I’ll drop the subject entirely, then, until you’re ready to talk about it more. Apologies,” Ignis reached for a book that was on the far side of the table. He passed it across the table with a weak smile to force a change of subject. The warmth that came off Mia was starting to make Ignis worried but he suppressed the words deep in his throat. “I thought you might want to learn more about King Regis’s father today.”  
   


\---------------------

Mia stood outside of the training room like she always did. Leaned against the wall with one foot propped up behind her. She kept her head down and focused on her cell phone to pass the time. Some guards would smile at her but nothing exciting would happen outside of the big steel doors. She smiled when she heard Gladio’s battle cries and sometimes tried to contain her laughter when Noct spewed insubordination or cursed at the trials he had to go through. While Noct was getting his training in that day, Mia was happy to see the silver lining for her. If Gladio released his aggression, then the evening would be smooth sailing. He would be so relaxed that there was nothing that could make him angry.  
   
The door swung open and Gladio stepped halfway out, drenched in sweat. “Hey.”    
   
“Hey.” Mia smiled at him.  
   
“I am going to be done here, soon. Do you want to head back to your place to get ready and I’ll meet you at the bar?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Gladio stepped out into the hallway completely, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Since their first meeting, Gladio looked the same to Mia. A friend. A brother. Nothing more or less. She was comfortable enough to admit he was attractive as a person but never enough to make her stop and be breathless. With one look at Gladio in the hallway, her breathing caught in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was her recent rush of endorphins from seeing Nyx earlier or Ignis’s commentary that heightened her senses. She had been to Gladio’s training sessions before and this wasn’t new. But, something about Gladio looked different to her today.  
   
Gladio raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”  
   
“Yeah, just a long day with Ignis.” Mia shook her head to focus.  
   
“I don’t know how you do it,” Gladio laughed to himself. “Ignis would bore me to death.”  
   
“He’s actually a really good teacher. I am learning a lot about Insomnia.”  
   
“You can tell me all about it at the bar tonight. Let me run Noct a little more ragged and I’ll text you when I am leaving.”  
   
To collect her thoughts, she didn’t push or make for conversation. “Sounds good.”  
   
Gladio declined an embrace as he was ‘sweaty and gross’ so Mia offered a soft wave as she passed. When she walked towards the entrance, she tried reasoning with herself. The feelings she temporarily had for Gladio a moment before had to have been the result of the day and her emotional state. Part of her cursed Ignis for even bringing up the idea. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck between two people but more importantly battling with feelings for someone she came to know as her best friend. By the time she could place her hand on the door handle, she dismissed the feeling as silly and proceeded to head back home.  
   


\---------------------

It took Mia a few minutes to clean up from her day’s activities and only seconds for her mind to wander back to Nyx. His bright blue eyes and the way he smiled at her when she spoke. The way his hair shifted against his back when he needed to look at Mia closer. His proud posture as he left her unraveled. While she was sprawled over her comfortable bed and fantasizing about Nyx’s next interaction with her, she left her cellphone against her chest and looked up at the ceiling. She knew Gladio would be texting her soon anyway.  
   
She felt her eyelids grow heavy but before she could submit to sleep, her phone beeped and woke her. It had to be Gladio.  
   
Unknown number. _Hey. It was nice meeting you today._  
   
Mia was quick to type a response but didn’t want to seem desperate so she waited to send it. Was it Nyx? How did he get her number? More importantly, was this even real at this point? She had never met someone as forward as Nyx except for Gladio. That or someone had the wrong number and Mia was jumping ahead of herself.  
   
Mia texted back after waiting several minutes. _Hey. It was awesome meeting you. Thank you for taking a few minutes with me in the garden._ If it was a random number, it wouldn’t make sense for them.  
   
The reply was almost instant. _You headed up to the bar tonight?_  
   
_With Gladio._ It hurt to text it, but she had to. There was no room for dishonesty.  
   
_Cool. I am going up with Crowe and Libertus. I am don’t want to make it awkward for you and him so if you want -- maybe we can hang out after? Your Gladdy is welcome to come, too._ The line stung her a bit. Did he mean the hangout as a chaperoned date? A group hangout? Why was Gladio **her** Gladdy suddenly?  
   
_How about we see how this evening goes? I’ll keep you posted._  
   
_Sounds good. I am really excited to see you again :)_ Mia blew out a huge puff of air she had been holding to herself. The simplest of conversations was making her heart skip with each message.  
   
She wanted to keep it short but also didn’t want to seem too eager. _Me, too. :D I’ll see you soon!_  
   
The phone dropped on her chest as she stretched out with a huge smile on her face. Mia didn’t know the time would be moving so quickly and her heart beat against her chest hard. Her mind travelled to her conversation with Ignis about Allie and how she wanted to use Nyx for his social capital. Multiple parts of the conversation angered her including how Allie treated both Gladio and Nyx. It wasn’t fair to either of them. There was something disgusting about the thought that someone had tried to use another person for selfish gain. She didn’t care if Gladio had nothing. He was her friend. He was there for her without question. She didn’t care if Nyx had nothing. He was, well, he was of interest to her for other reasons. Mia didn’t plan on becoming Allie even if others thought that she had the possibility of becoming her. 

If anything angered her more it was that Gladio kept the entire situation from her. She didn’t expect Nyx to tell her since they just formally met hours earlier but she was disappointed in Gladio. She wanted to bring it up to him and be honest about it but tonight wasn’t going to be a fight outside of a bar with two drunken best friends screaming obscenities at one another.  
   
Her phone made a sound again to break her from her thoughts. Gladio.  
   
_Hey. I am out of the shower. Do you want me to come get you or? Sorry it took long._  
   
_If you want. I can meet you there, too. Whatever works, Gladdy._  
   
_I’ll meet you at your house in ten. Is that enough time for you, princess?_  
   
Mia let out a laugh at his teasing. _I’ll be ready in half that time, asshole._  
   
_See you ;)_  
   
Mia quickly sat up and pushed herself off the bed. Her closet was less than presentable for searching through but she would work to find something. Her usual laid back attire wouldn’t work tonight. She needed to find something that wasn’t too revealing or too off from her normal aesthetic. The bar clothes alternated between a ripped Insomnia band shirt and jeans or a simple black skater dress with black leggings -- usually ripped due to laziness. Mia started to pull items out and throw them behind her to find something that would work.  
   
After a few minutes, she located a tight black dress that showed every curve with a sweetheart cut across her chest. The last time she wore that dress was on her birthday years prior. She threw it to the back of her closet as she was positive she would never have a use for it again. Something a little bit more revealing but not too obvious. Gladio would probably notice, if anything, but she wasn’t doing this for him. Or Nyx for that matter. She needed that confidence boost if she was going to pull of this evening. Digging further into her closet, she pulled out her black combat boots and a balled-up pair of fishnet leggings. She stopped for a moment to reconsider the fishnet leggings but then opted to wear them.  
   
“All black is super classy,” She mumbled to herself while pulling the fishnets over her bare skin. “As long as I don’t overdo it on makeup. Just red lipstick? Just red lipstick with a killer eyeliner, Mia.”  
   
Mia ran her fingers through her hair and let it fall again. With Gladio coming over in minutes, Mia quickly applied a bright red lipstick and winged her eyeliner in a few quick strokes. She hadn’t worn lipstick in a long time but it made her feel a bit more assertive. Tying her combat boots also gave her a surge in confidence especially when she felt the weight pull her down a bit.  
   
Like clockwork, a loud bang came from the front door. With one last check in the mirror, Mia was content with her work and then quickly off to open the door. She took a deep breath before pulling the door open as she wasn’t sure how Gladio would take it. Would he question her relentlessly why she was dressed that way? Would he mock her? Would he know exactly what she was up to without saying a word? Should she have ditched the fishnet stockings? Was that too much?  
   
“Now or never, Mia.” She whispered before pulling the door open with a smile.  
   
Gladio didn’t berate her. He didn’t even give her the stare he did before launching into a thirty-minute discussion. Instead, his breath hitched and he tried to hide it with clearing his throat. Mia stepped outside and locked the door behind her while Gladio stood there without words on his lips. When Mia looked at him, the earlier feeling of lust didn't exist anymore and she smirked at herself for choosing not to act on her emotions in the moment.  
   
She turned to grin at him. “Ready?”  
   
“You, um,” Gladio cleared his throat again. “Look different.”  
   
“Thanks?” Mia chuckled to herself while turning away from him. “I guess?”  
   
“I mean. You look nice. Just not used to seeing you all dolled up like this is all.”  
   
“Take me to a royal party, Gladio, and you might see me even get more dolled up,” Mia winked before turning to walk towards the bar. She had to bring it up one more time to get him back for earlier that morning. “You coming?”  
   
“Yeah.” Gladio walked quickly to catch up to her.  
   
“Usual place tonight?” Mia could sense there was a bit of tension between them but it gave her another boost to her ego. Gladio, for the first time, couldn’t muster up conversation points. All he did was just stare and respond when he could.  
   
“Whatever you’re looking to do, doll.”


	4. We'll Get Away With Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Nyx having Mia's number, their growing relationship might get a little bit harder to hide from Gladio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this. I am really appreciating the comments and kudos! You guys are wonderful :)

The walk to the bar was anything but normal. Gladio slowly closed the gap between him and Mia while they walked side by side. Mia could feel the electricity he was generating and it made her hold her head high with a smile. Gladio didn’t say much except for a few nods in agreement while Mia talked about her day with Ignis. She purposely skipped her meeting with Nyx and instead filled the conversation with her enjoyment of being in the garden. Mia couldn’t fight the constant smirk she had for when Gladio would trip over his words or stumble in his steps. If she was doing this to Gladio, she clearly was ready to walk into the bar and be in complete control.

When they entered the front door, Gladio seemed to transform back to normal in interactions. He relaxed being in the crowded room and nodded for Mia to find a seat while he bought the first round. Mia did her best to avoid looking at her cellphone which she shoved to the bottom of her purse to avoid temptation. The bar was a little more packed than usual. Same crowd of people but just a few more than what she was accustomed to. Stepping on her tiptoes, she searched for an open spot -- any spot -- for her and Gladio to sit. Around the bar was full and so were the booths in front. Confident, Mia pushed through the crowd towards the back. If there were any seats left, then it would be by the bathrooms. No one seemed to take those booths.

When Mia could see the bathrooms, she turned her head to scan the booths along the wall again. She might have missed a perfectly good area if she kept walking and staring forward. Instead, she met eyes with Nyx who had his arm over the back of the booth above Libertus. Crowe had her legs dangling off the booth on the other side and was locked in a heated discussion with Libertus. Mia stood there simpering as she watched the scene between Libertus and Crowe while secretly cheering them on. Nyx shot her back a smirk in response but never took his eyes off her. He wore a tight black shirt from what she could see and what she could assume were dark jeans as that was his usual style. The closer she walked, the more Nyx was obvious in taking piercing detours at every curve over her and biting his bottom lip as she passed. Mia could have easily melted into the floor but she continued to walk to an open booth directly behind the group. She slid into the booth side closest to Nyx so they were back to back. Libertus and Crowe didn’t notice as they were deep in an argument about magic or so Mia could guess by the few words she heard. If Gladio wasn’t happy with their location, they would have to move to an entirely different bar since Mia’s luck grabbed the only available seating. She wanted to turn to greet Nyx but wasn’t sure when Gladio would return so she maintained facing away from him and placed her phone on the table.

Gladio returned with four beers in total, two for each person, grunting as he sat down. Mia quickly grabbed one of the beers with a smile.

“Two? I thought I was getting next round, Gladdy?”

“This place is a little busy. It might be best if we do it in twos. So, you owe me two beers.” Gladio dropped his shoulders and leaned against the wall next to the booth with one foot over the edge. He had been more relaxed since they got into the bar and he wasn’t stumbling over his words anymore. If anything, Gladio was starting to get confident just as quickly as Mia.

Mia laughed at his usual cocky self. “Yeah, okay. Two beers. So, tell me about your training today? You haven’t really mentioned anything about it.”

“Noct won’t be walking for a week.”

“Poor thing.”

The phone on the table made a loud notification and Mia knew exactly who it was. Quickly, she turned the phone’s sound setting to silent. She hadn’t saved Nyx’s number in her phone yet so she had an excuse to text back. When she opened the message, she couldn’t help but feel her cheeks run red.

_You have a cute laugh. That outfit on the other hand might be something else entirely._

“Who is it?”

“Oh, just a friend from back at Lestallum. Checking in and catching up. I’m listening - just keeping two conversations going at once. What did you do to Noct that won’t have him walking?”

_You’re sweet. You look nice tonight. I see you got your hands full._ Mia looked down and back up as Gladio discussed the training process and how hard he pushed Noct today. She could tell that he had less aggression and was grateful for the loud crowd drowning out Nyx’s notification tones. Neither his table or her table even caught it once.

_It’s entertaining at least. I am assuming Gladio is not going to budge on anything?_

Mia sighed, nodding at Gladio as he spoke and typed back. _I don’t think it is the best idea, no. Did you want me to text you later?_

She waited for Gladio to finish before responding. “So, the real question, Gladdy. Did he learn anything new? How are is his swordwork? Still slow with a broadsword?”

The screen lit up with a quick response. _Sure. :)_

“He keeps taking too long on his swing. He almost hesitates. I am not sure if it’s the weight or the sword or he is being a lazy prince again.” Gladio chuckled while Mia reached for her phone.

_Impressive gig he has. I am interested in learning more about his fighting style. It seems fascinating._

“Sorry. It’s my friend again.” Mia took a long swig of her beer before looking down to type again. _He’s a pretty impressive dude. I am glad he’s my friend :)_

“No problem. I think he will be ready in time. As long as we don’t have a sudden change to the Prince taking over for King Regis sooner? He will be ready by his Coronation, no doubt. He just has to drop the attitude.”

“Have you tried explaining that he has an attitude? Or are you just running him through the gauntlet when he acts out?”

Before Gladio could respond, her phone went off again. _I am glad he’s just your friend. ;)_

Mia didn’t know how to respond to it so she dropped her phone off on the table loud enough for Nyx to hear. Libertus and Crowe’s argument was starting to die down to threatening whispers across the table. Mia laughed to herself and wished she could make out what they were saying.

“I mean, it’s fucking hard. I don’t want him to think we can be chill like that. Ignis would be better suited for that type of discussion with him. He’s also going through that weird phase where he doesn’t need to take orders from anyone but himself and if I make it seem like we’re buddies, he might slack even more.”

“I bet if you talked to him about it, Gladdy, he would listen,” Mia was confident in her response and took another drink of her beer. “Would you just try?”

“I’ll try,” Gladio promised, drinking his first beer completely dry. “Did you do anything else besides hang with Iggy? How was the gardens? Crownsguard didn’t give you trouble, yea?”

“No, they were fine. It was nice. Allowed me to clear my head for a bit, you know? Nothing too crazy.” Mia responded cheerfully. Before Gladio could get another word in, her phone lit up again. Looking down, she fought the smile coming across her face.

_Liar. Liar._

“Your friend is very chatty,’ Gladio paused, immediately correcting himself. “Not that there is anything wrong with that. You’re usually not glued to your phone like this.”

“Just catching up, Gladio. No big deal.” Mia was sounding more and more confident in her lie. Her phone went off again and she heard Nyx chuckle behind her.

_Pants on fire._ Mia knew that Nyx was starting to taunt her though she was flatted her conversation was more interesting than the one under his nose. 

_Not wearing pants, Nyx._

“You stopping by The Citadel tomorrow or are you working?”

“Working. Been off for two days. I should probably show up at some point. My boss has been really relaxed about the whole situation. It’s not the big season for flowers right now. We don’t have any major holidays around these weeks. But, once we do, it’ll pick back up and I’ll be taking in more hours. I really like the free time now and I can drink as many of these,” She took the last sip out of her first beer and waved it back and forth, “As I want. I don’t have to be in till late.”

“Lucky.”

“What about you, Gladdy? More training with Noct?”

“Nah. I am going to give the poor brat a break. I will be doing castle duty, though. It should be an uneventful shift.”

“You can make it eventful if you tried hard enough and believed in yourself.” Mia mocked while leaning back to press into the booth.

Nyx responded with a loud laugh that broke Gladio’s focus but not Libertus and Crowe. They were still arguing over Six knows what. Still. Gladio looked up at Nyx who didn’t turn to look back. Mia could see Gladio’s eyes flash to a fiery red if only for a moment. The pressure of the room started to grow tighter. After a few seconds of staring, he looked back at Mia and continued their conversation for the next few minutes normally. Mia and Gladio switched off getting rounds for one another and talking about everything and nothing about their days. Except Mia’s meeting in the garden. She promised that no matter how intoxicated she became, she wouldn’t reveal that to Gladio. Not yet at least.

The night was starting to become blurry where the crowd began to calm down while giving volume to Libertus and Crowe’s argument. The discussion had gained quite the crowd that surrounded them with pivoted necks. They moved from arguing about magic to food to their homeland and back again. Mia was convinced they were madly in love with one another - even if they were positive they weren’t.

Mia’s conversation with Nyx never once felt awkward. It was natural. Talking to him was easy, especially through text, and it didn’t disrupt either of their evenings. Nyx tossed a few compliments to her and Mia’s cheeks were dusted with a consistent color of pink for the rest of the evening. The texts were never more than light flirting but it made Mia’s heart pound against her chest. It was a challenge to maintain talking to Gladio while letting her mind wander to fantasies again. When Gladio was curious about the conversation she was having, she dismissed it immediately and changed the subject.

Gladio flipped through his phone. “Oh. Hey. Iris is throwing me a birthday party in a few weeks if you want to come. I am not supposed to know about it. She left her crafting supplies out on the table so it was hard to miss.”

“You’re a good brother to play along.”

“You know she loves these things. She threw a heck of a party last year for me, too.”

“I’ll be there with bells on, Gladdy.” Mia beamed, finishing off another beer.

“You want another round? You’re housing those.”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. Should be easier this time with the crowd dying down.”

“I’ll be right back.” Gladio knocked the table with his knuckles before getting up and walking to the bar. Once he was out of earshot, she heard a voice behind her.

“This is a fun first date, don’t you think?” Nyx chuckled behind her.

Mia smiled wide but didn’t turn around, “We might have to do a redo, huh?”

“Well, if you’re up to staying out a little later, I got a spot I want to show you.”

“I am in.” Mia was intoxicated with liquid courage.

Gladio came back to the table faster than she wanted and she smiled when he pushed the cold bottles towards her.

“What time did you want to head out?” Gladio asked while checking the time on his phone.

“What time is it?” Mia refused to pick up her phone for the hundredth time.

“10:30.”

“How about we finish this round and then head back?”

“You need me to walk you?” Gladio was concerned, looking her up and down.

Mia’s head was screaming against it. “Nah. I’ll be fine. You know if you walk me home, I’ll stay up late talking to you and be a mess tomorrow.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” Conviction was now easy for her.

“Not to be too forward, Mia, but your outfit is -- “

“A confidence booster? Thank you for noticing.” Mia cut him off quickly with a smile.

Not ready to argue, Gladio sighed. “Okay. But, you’ll text me when you’re home?”

“That I can promise.”

\---------------------

Nyx heard the entire conversation but didn’t get up at the same time Gladio and Mia did. He watched them intently as they left while keeping an eye on the time. Libertus and Crowe had given up on their argument and ended up wanting to close early due to exhaustion and sore throats. It wasn’t what Nyx had in mind for his first outside interaction with Mia but it would have to do for now. After Libertus paid for the entire tab (as an apology for Nyx having to sit through the argument – he insisted), Nyx walked them out and hung around the outside patio. He checked his phone again, counting the minutes. He could see Mia and Gladio in the distance embracing in a hug and separating from one another. Gladio had looked over his shoulder a few times to make sure Mia was fine walking by herself with movements of concern and worry. After battling for a few minutes, Gladio finally turned the other direction to start walking home.

Mia walked back to her apartment with a skip in her step. She greeted all the other drunk citizens with a smile and a wave as she passed them. Her mood was fantastic and nothing could change it. A few times, she turned around to make sure Gladio wasn’t following her and when she smoothed out her paranoia, she continued back to into a happy stroll. When she got close to passing The Citadel, she knew she was halfway home. Her phone was pressed against her palm, waiting for it to glow. When she was positive she wasn't being followed, she shoved the phone into the bottom of her purse again. The beer had started to go to her head and she felt weightless traveling down the streets.

Footsteps paced quickly behind her and before she could turn around, she felt an arm fall around her shoulder. Mia inhaled the smell of beer and sandalwood and she looked to meet Nyx who was smiling warmly at her. Mia picked up and dropped his arm to hit his side and boldly laced her fingers with his. His calloused thumb rubbed gently against hers as they walked in silence together with the brightly lit Citadel across the street. 

“Have fun tonight?” Nyx finally broke the stillness between them.

Mia smiled. “Yeah, it’s always good to hang with Gladio. Even better to get free entertainment of a debate.”

Nyx laughed and squeezed her hand tightly. “They’re good people, I promise.”

“Oh, I know they are. They seem very kind. Just passionate.” They had the makings of Gladio, something that she struggled explaining to people for a long time.

“I know I told you already but you look great.” Nyx pulled on her to walk towards The Citadel.

Mia blushed. “Thank you, Nyx,” She paused in thought to keep pace with Nyx. “Where are we going by the way?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, follow me.”

Nyx held on to Mia’s hand tightly as they walked to one of the side entrances -- one that Mia had been through before. Nyx pulled out a keycard with his free hand and held it in front of the keypad till it made a beep. The door clicked and Nyx pulled it open gently and made sure to not make a sound when they were both inside. The two of them walked the corridors towards the elevators. The Crowdsguard that were lined against the walls were ones that Mia had never seen before. Then again, she had never been in The Citadel this late at night. They didn’t flinch or greet her but they did welcome Nyx with a nod or a “Hey, Hero”. Nyx didn’t look at her once but didn’t stop holding her hand when he rang for the elevator, pressed the highest floor, swiped his keycard, or when they waited for the long ride up. The faint beep of the elevator counting every floor was the only sound in the entire space surrounding them. Mia kept her eyes on the numbers rising with a smile on her face.

Nyx broke the silence again. “I know you like the gardens so I hope this will suffice for a mulligan of a first date.”

“I am sure it’ll be wonderful.” Mia kept her eyes forward at the numbers. After it passed floor 20, the numbers started to turn into letters. She had been in this elevator before but never this high up.

When the counter reached ‘M’, the elevator came to a complete stop followed by a loud ding. The doors opened to a circular platform decorated with pillars of various heights and lit from multiple angles. Behind them as they walked, stairs spiraled up to an outside patio that was guarded by two different statues on either end. On the main platform were empty tables and chairs and Nyx slinked his way through with Mia following right behind him. As they walked closer, Mia could see the entire city of Insomnia bursting in bright lights. Her breath caught as she looked around at the city bustling below her.

“What is this place?” Mia finally spoke.

“It’s where the King has the Summer Solstice. Celebrations and the like. And there,” Nyx turned her around to look at the top tier and pointed. “Is my station when those parties happen. It’s less fascinating than down here.”

Nyx turned back towards the open landscape and sat at the edge of the platform. His legs dangled off the fringe and he smiled up at Mia with a hand offered to her. Reluctantly, Mia took it and slowly found her way to mirror Nyx’s movements until her legs were touching his. While the view was beautiful, Mia felt a bit of fear that she would slide right off. But, while she just met Nyx less than a day ago, she was feeling more comfortable with him with each moment they shared. Something about him made Mia feel safe.

Nyx looked at her while wrapping his arm around her waist. “I am not going to let you fall.”

“That would be preferred.” She smiled up at him and leaned onto him for support.

“So. What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful. I have always loved Insomnia but seeing it from this angle is just perfect.”

Nyx looked down at her. “It is.”

Mia leaned her head against his chest and released a hum of satisfaction. Her heart skipped constantly and she found herself holding her breath.

“If I could transport you, I would take you all over the city but this will do for now.”

“Is that how it works? You can only transport yourself?”

“I haven’t really tried to do it with anyone else. I don’t want to risk it, honestly. Even if we were on the ground, I would still be nervous of hurting someone. In the meantime, I can show off in the sky for you sometime.”

“Yeah, okay.” Mia rolled her eyes and pulled back from him. Nyx snickered back at her. The beer was still making her head dizzy but Nyx kept supporting her with a strong arm. If she started to slip, he tightened his grip on her.

“You see over there?” Nyx pointed out to a small, short building about a mile away with a bright blue roof. “That’s my apartment. It’s a tiny little place but it will do.”

“Tiny places are the best, are they not? Intimate. Not filled with negative space. Just your own little home.”

Mia could see Nyx smile softly in the corner of her eye.

“I don’t want you to think -- “

“That I am going to stop hanging out with you because you’re not this rich tycoon in Insomnia?” Mia recalled her discussion with Ignis and selfishly used it to her advantage. She didn’t care and there was nothing that would change her mind on it. But, if she could put herself up higher on Nyx’s list, she wasn’t going to stop. She turned to him with a smirk on her face. “That stuff isn’t interesting to me anyway. It’s sort of boring, to be honest.”

Nyx looked at her while his face transformed from disappointment to delight. “Maybe you can swing by sometime?”

“I would love to. It sounds like a lovely little place. Much cooler than mine.”

“Where do you live?”

“I live,” Mia pointed to the other side of the view to a series of apartments that stretched into the darkness. “Over there. It’s a complex so neighbors are horribly loud and have no concept of paper thin walls. But, it gives me a place to put my stuff and shower and sleep so I can’t complain too much. I didn’t have a ton of money when I moved from Lestallum so I snatched the first place that fit my budget. I could move but I just don’t want to haul my life again, you know?”

“Totally get that.”

“It’s right by The Citadel. It’s half a mile from work. It’s a good spot. Gladdy lives by the bars. I would invite you over but it’s a tiny little place.”

Nyx laughed. “I bet you my place is smaller.”

“We will have to test that out.” Mia smirked at him. 

Nyx and Mia spent the next few hours looking over Insomnia together. They told stories of all the places below them and would laugh together about how many times they probably were in the same spot at the same time. When Mia started to feel less dizzy, she turned to face him with one leg hanging over the side and the other tucked in front of her. They talked about everything from Nyx’s hometown to his tattoos to Mia’s upbringing and her life in Lestallum. Nyx told her some stories that he gained in the Kingsglaive. She promised she would take a trip with him someday, if he was lucky, and show him around the market. Nyx didn’t stop touching her in simple ways from tucking her hair behind her ear when she spoke or placing a hand over hers when he responded. Mia didn’t feel as courageous to move closer to him as she became sober. At least not tonight. She tried peeling Nyx’s layers back to see if he really was the monster that Gladio said he was. But, Nyx was honest with her and made that thought disappear among the stars.

“I have to get going in a little bit. Wouldn’t want to miss my shift,” Mia hated saying it and wished she could stop time just to capture their evening. She was positive she would call off in the morning depending on how late it was.

“What time is it? It can’t be that late.”

“It is -- “ Mia dug around for her phone and pulled it out of her purse.

She stopped and took in a sharp breath. Not only was it 3:00 in the morning but she forgot to do one thing. Turning her notifications to silent was the dumbest thing she had ever thought of in that moment. There were notifications sprawled across her screen that escalated every 30 minutes. A hand ran through her hair as she froze reading each one. No excuse would be good enough at this point. She was completely screwed. The last phone call was half an hour ago and the last text message was just a few seconds before she found her phone. Nyx noticed her shift in mood and placed a hand on her arm. He watched her scroll through her screen that illuminated the look of horror on her face.

“You okay?”

Mia cradled her phone and closed her eyes. “I forgot to tell Gladio I made it home.”


	5. They'll Say You Could Do Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second date is in order for Nyx and Mia.   
> Hopefully Gladio's temper won't get the best of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has been awesome so far. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read through each chapter and give kudos and comments. This chapter is a little bit of a filler chapter and will add to that sweet slow burn that I adore. Enjoy! :)

“Blame me, Mia,” Nyx rubbed her arm and looked her over. “It’s my fault for keeping you here as long as I have.”

Mia took in a deep breath and clutched tightly on her phone. “I can’t do that, Nyx. You know that. You’re sweet to help, though.” She gave him a small smile and looked back at her phone. With a few clicks, her volume went up in case Gladio called again. “I am sorry that our first do-over date has to end on a sour note.”

Nyx chuckled. “Nah. I had a great time with you. I am looking forward to trying to get the next one perfect. And if that doesn’t work out? Maybe third time’s the charm. After that? I don’t know if we should even be in the same room after that.”

“You’re awful.”

“Awfully amazing.”

Mia laughed and rolled her eyes. She started to move backwards across the platform away from the edge before standing up. Careful to not trip or end up in the Insomnia streets, Mia slowly made her way to her feet. Nyx was quick to follow but with a lot more grace.

“Have you done this before? Do you take all the Insomnia girls here?” Mia teased, pushing on his chest gently.

“Only the pretty ones from Lestallum,” Nyx winked and offered his hand to her. “Come on. I gotta get you home before your Gladdy breaks down the door of your apartment building.” Mia took his hand and after lacing his fingers in hers, he started to walk towards the elevator. “Not that I would mind. That just means you would have to stay at my tiny little apartment which would obviously be a bigger problem.”

Mia smiled and squeezed his hand. “Not a bad problem to have.”

The thought that Gladio was waiting for her at her apartment made her feel sick to her stomach. His guard had never been something that made Mia uncomfortable but she couldn’t face him after an evening of bliss and take his comments seriously. She wanted the feeling to last for as long as she could. With a silent prayer to the Six, Mia continued to follow Nyx through The Citadel and out into the streets.

\---------------------

Nyx insisted on walking Mia back home especially this late at night. There weren’t daemons across Insomnia but there were dangerous people that Nyx didn’t feel comfortable leaving Mia with. Mia agreed to it but only if he would drop her off a block away. She wasn’t sure if Gladio would be outside her apartment door and didn’t need to deal with pulling him off Nyx or putting herself in the middle.

The walk home was quiet. Most of the bar patrons had stumbled home an hour before and the rest of the city was fast asleep. Mia’s phone didn’t ring the entire way which made for a peaceful journey even if it only lasted a block or two. When they reached the cross street, she let go of Nyx’s hand and turned on her heel to look up at him. She was sure her makeup was a mess and her hair in a whirlwind of tangles from the breeze above The Citadel.

“So, when are you free next?” Nyx asked, rocking on his heels with his hands behind his back.

“I get out this afternoon. That is if I actually go in.” She laughed to herself. “It’s a little past my bedtime.”

“I have to do some drills after work today. But, if you’re free, I would really like to see you.”

“I think I can manage that.” Mia responded with a quick wink.

Nyx raised a hand to brush her cheek with the back of his fingers which Mia leaned into with closed eyes. When he cupped her face, she looked up at his piercing blue eyes and her heart began to race. She wasn’t sure if she should move forward or let Nyx take the lead. The date had already been soured by Gladio so she didn’t want to continue the trend. Before she could decide her next move, Nyx started to close the gap between them until his lips were hovering over hers. She could feel his warm breath brushing the surface of her lips as she fought the urge to breathe. His lips were probably as soft as they looked and his tongue most likely laced with his dark beer. The thought of it thrilled Mia as her eyes fluttered shut. It would have been a perfect moment if her phone didn’t start blaring in her purse and echoing down the street.

Pulling out of his grasp gently, she fished around for the loud device. There was a quick mouthing of ‘sorry’ towards Nyx as her cheeks flushed red. With a sigh, she swiped to answer and put the phone to her ear. Nyx nodded with an understanding smile and gave her a soft wave before turning around to walk in the opposite direction. Biting her bottom lip, she promised herself that she would make it up to Nyx -- somehow -- for being as understanding as he was.

“Mia?”

“Hey Gladdy.”

Gladio exhaled hard into the phone. “Thank the Six. I was so worried about you. Are you okay?”

“I am fine, Gladdy. I am actually almost home.” Her eyes were fixated on watching every inch of Nyx move as he walked.

“Where are you?”

“I am at the end of the block,” She admitted before he could answer for her. “I am really sorry I didn’t text you, Gladdy. I put my phone on silent and time got away from me.”

“It’s okay, Mia. Just please fucking text me next time like you promised.” Gladio had more of disappointment in his voice than he did anger. It wasn’t what Mia was expecting but it was better than getting an earful from him.

“I will, Gladdy. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t fucking keep.”

Before Mia could respond, Gladio disconnected the call. It was completely unbelievable until she pulled the phone forward to see that he had done so. Her thumb floated over calling him back but she decided it was best to leave it. The promise she broke that night was going to take time to mend and Mia was willing to work at it. She felt awful for not texting Gladio and making him worry but she didn’t regret what she did with Nyx. Staring at her screen, she waited for it to go black before putting it back in her purse. She wouldn’t be able to keep this up long and at some point, she would have to tell Gladio.

\---------------------

The florist was understanding when Mia called off a few hours after. She was exhausted, slightly hungover, and emotionally drained. Her headache was pounding against her skull. Sleeping wasn’t an option except in small bursts. It was a constant battle of wanting to text Gladio and just deleting his number entirely. Mia felt guilty, if anything, and wanted to make it up to him but she knew that he would need time to cool off. The knots that grew in her stomach were eating away at her slowly as she watched the time pass. Mia felt sick. She tried to hold on tightly to the wonderful night she had with Nyx but without him there, she couldn’t stop thinking about how upset Gladio was.

She laid there in silence wrapped in a sea of comforters and soft pillows.

When the sun flooded her room with light, she finally could succumb to dreamland. Aside from the occasional washroom break, she spent most of the day sleeping in the comfort of her own bed. There were no dreams. Only spans of darkness. When she was awake, she would check her phone but there was nothing from Gladio. At about noon, however, a text woke her up from her regretful coma.

_Hey. You doing okay?_

A small smile came across Mia’s face. _Yeah. Just sleeping the day away. Thank you again for last night._

_It was my pleasure. We still on for tonight? Or did you want to stay at home? No pressure._

Mia thought hard about it. There might be a window where Gladio wanted to see her. There was also the painful headache that had been attacking her all morning. She wanted to be with Nyx but she didn’t want to be out in public with other people. Maybe it was good to just be around Nyx and forget about things for a little bit.

_Compromise. Do you want to have a low-key night? Maybe watch a movie?_

It didn’t take Nyx long to respond. _That sounds awesome. Do you want to come here or do you want me to swing by?_

_Do you mind coming here? Warning: I will most likely be in pajamas._

_Pajama Party it is. I’ll swing by after work. I’ll pick up dinner, too, so we don’t have to worry about cooking._

_Sounds great. I look forward to it._

_See you tonight, love._

Since he didn’t comment about their missed embrace and wanted to hang out with her, Mia felt a feeling of relief take over her. His text messages still made her feel like a teenager in love. There was no ignoring the fluttering in her chest or the corners of her lips pulling upwards. Mia allowed the phone to drop from her grasp as she let her heavy lids shut close again.

She had vivid dreams of being with Nyx on the highest floor of The Citadel again except kissing him was extremely easy this time. There was a lack of fear and anxiety that came in her sleep where she was courageous enough to reach for him. His skin against hers felt like fire and warmed her to her core. His calloused hands running against her gently made her shiver in delight. Her fingers laced in his long-braided locks while his lips brushed against the inside of her thighs. His hungry kisses against her neck that brought hundreds of goosebumps over her skin. It left Mia wanting more than what she had been given.

\---------------------

A few hours later, Mia woke up to see that she had a little bit of time to get ready for Nyx to come over. A quick shower was absolutely needed to wash away her proof of being dead asleep for most of the day. The water felt like heaven against her skin. Starting to feel human again, she took her time in making sure she didn’t smell like the night before. She let her raven hair hang down over her shoulders and pulled on one of Gladio’s oversized shirts that she cut to fall over one shoulder with red shorts hidden beneath. She put little effort into her makeup after realizing that if Nyx couldn’t see her this way, that it wouldn’t work out in the end. While she twirled in the mirror at her look, there was a light knock at the front door. Mia took a deep breath and smiled one more time at her reflection before heading to the front of the apartment.

When Mia opened the door, she let out a soft laugh. Nyx was dressed in comfortable black fleece pants with a tight black shirt. His arms were full of multiple brown paper bags that he didn’t seem to struggle with. Mia took a few bags off him and invited him into her apartment. Nyx closed the door and kicked off his shoes while she unloaded items in the kitchen. The spread was enough for an entire army and when Mia turned to ask what the occasion was, Nyx was already next to her with a bright pink flower between his fingers. He extended it to Mia who took it with a grin. The stem found the place behind her ear and stuck out brightly against her dark hair.

“Pretty flower for a pretty girl.” Nyx remarked while helping Mia unload the items onto the counter. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Lots of food here, Nyx.”

Nyx shrugged. “I didn’t know what you liked so I got a little bit of everything. But,” Nyx reached around her to grab a container of meat and vegetable soup. “The gighee one is mine.”

Mia responded with a half-hearted laugh. It was nice to have Nyx this close to her again. It was difficult to not reach for him as they worked on picking and choosing what they were going to have for dinner. Once or twice her arm gently touched his and sent electricity through her entire body. Nyx could feel it, too, as he looked over and chuckled to himself when it happened.

When their plates were filled to the edge, they sat on the kitchen counters and talked. Mia mostly listened to Nyx talk about his training for the day. She laughed at his commentary about Libertus and smiled at how fondly he spoke about Crowe. He had a spark about him when he spoke. His words were passionate and kept Mia interested through each bite. There was temptation in wanting to check her phone at the end of the counter but she shook her head at the thought. Worrying about Gladio would make her anxious and destroy another date with Nyx. She could have taken a break and called Gladio tonight. But, tonight was not going to be the night where she fought for him.

“Anything else exciting happen besides sleeping?” Nyx inquired tilting his head to the side and placing a piece of fish into his mouth.

_Had a wonderful dream about feeling your skin against mine._

“Mainly nursing a hangover and sleeping, honestly. Kept me out a little too late last night.” Mia gave him a wink.

“I, for one, am happy we were out late.” He paused before laughing to himself. “Until I had to do drills with Crowe. I was happy we were out that late but my rib cage is not going to be so happy tomorrow morning.”

“Shouldn’t be hanging around those Lestallum girls. They’ll get you into trouble.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Nyx slid off the counter to start cleaning up after them both.

The dinner was delicious and left both filled. They continued to talk back and forth about the events that had happened throughout their days while working together to make sure the kitchen was clean. Nyx showed little signs of affection as he did before. Tucking her hair behind her ear when she was talking or running the back of his fingers across her face when she did something cute was becoming constant. Any contact with Nyx’s skin made her blush which brought joy to Nyx. He was becoming too perfect for Mia that she started to wonder what dark secret he had to be hiding. The way Gladio spoke of him was the opposite of how he was acting. He was calm, kind, and spirited in his words and movements. There was never a moment where Mia felt like she was threatened or pressured into anything. The descriptions from Gladio that once burned in the back of her mind started to fade.

If anyone asked what the movie’s plot was, neither of them could have recalled. They ended up playing it in the background as soft noise while they continued to talk. Mia sat cross legged facing Nyx who was comfortably leaning into the cushions with both legs tucked underneath him. He would lean forward to draw shapes on her knee but wouldn’t get close enough for Mia to fall into him. His fingers created electric currents against her skin as they rubbed gently. More than a few times, Mia wanted to reach to feel him but the light touch was enough to keep her at bay. Her eyes wandered to his lips and traced them back and forth for a few moments before moving back to gaze at him.

Mia didn’t check her phone at all and placed it face down on the coffee table. She didn’t leave it on silent, just in case, but she wasn’t obsessively checking it like usual. The world around her didn’t seem to matter when she was sitting with Nyx. His laugh was contagious and when he smirked at her, it shook her to her core. Eventually, she moved her legs to prevent them for falling asleep and Nyx pulled her close to him. With her head against his chest, Nyx reached up to run his fingers slowly through her hair in silence. Mia moved her arms to wrap around his stomach and dug her head into his shoulder. The smell of sandalwood filled her lungs each time he shifted and brought a calmness to Mia that she had been craving. Nyx would gently kiss her forehead and take in her soft scent of citrus that flowed throughout her hair. If Mia moved to look at Nyx, she would be inches from his face. Not that she would have minded being even closer to him but the current setup was so pleasant that she didn’t need to try.

“Great movie, huh?” Nyx broke the silence with a nudge and pointed to the rolling credits.

“Best movie of the year,” Mia smiled and curled up tightly to Nyx. “You want to watch another one?”

“I do but I also don’t want to move.” Nyx admitted with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder. 

“Then we don’t have to.” 

Nyx’s fingers left Mia’s hair and began to trail to the exposed nape of her neck. A soft hum escaped her lips and Nyx snickered while continuing to run over the sensitive spot. It let Mia’s mind wander to his lips gliding across or his teeth digging deep into her skin. But, she didn’t want to start something that Nyx wasn’t willing to finish. For now, sitting with him in silence fulfilled her and made her forget all of her worries from the day. It wasn’t long before the two of them fell asleep like that. It was apparent that Mia had fallen asleep first when her body shifted hard into Nyx. He adjusted to lay down with her curled up between him and the inside of the couch. His leg moved between hers so she could become tangled up in him and Mia let out a satisfied sigh. Nyx continued to gently caress her neck as she slept while Nyx fought a losing battle of staying awake.

\---------------------

The sound of an angry fist echoed into the apartment from the front door. Mia pushed herself upright and quickly moved over Nyx. Stirring slightly, Nyx grabbed for Mia’s hand weakly while she headed for the door. She stood on her tiptoes to look through the peephole and felt her whole body tense up in a fit of anxiety. With a deep breath, she opened the door enough for her to squeeze out and shut it behind her.

Gladio stood there, defeated. His eyes were heavy and his shoulders were rolled forward in a slump. His black button up was open but not ironed and his pants seemed hastily put on with how uneven they sat. The beautiful black locks were a mess, too, and it broke Mia’s heart knowing that she was the cause of it. He shook his head and looked at her with a slight chuckle when he noticed what she was wearing.

“Did you cut my fucking t-shirt up?”

“I have had it for over a year. You didn’t miss it.”

There was an aura of stillness as both Mia and Gladio avoided eye contact. The fact that Nyx was on the other side of the wall didn’t bother Mia as much as how awkward the current situation was. After a few moments, they both went to speak but stopped and softly laughed to themselves.

“You first.” Mia waved up to him.

Gladio cleared his throat. “I am sorry that I snapped on you and hung up on you. You didn’t deserve that. I am not your father and I don’t need to pretend to be. I just,” He paused and looked at her with concern in his eyes. “I got really scared, Mia. I have never had you not tell me when you were home. I started to worry that some piece of shit had gotten ahold of you and I wouldn’t be able to deal with that,” Gladio took in a deep breath. “I am sorry. I don’t want to lose you.”

Mia smiled warmly. “Gladio, I get it. I am sorry for worrying you. I shouldn’t have made a promise like that and then completely disregard your feelings. You reacted how I would have if you made the same promise. Forgive me?”

Pulling her into a hug, Gladio held her tightly and rocked her from side to side. His chin found the top of her head and they stood like that for what seemed like an eternity. Mia’s cheek pressed gently against his chest as she inhaled the smell of leather. Gladio always smelled like leather, no matter time of day. The aroma was something that reminded her that she was safe and that she didn’t need to be concerned. Her arms wrapped around him in a firm embrace. The sound of a quickened heartbeat traveled to Mia’s ear which made her nuzzle her face against it. Nervousness was not something she was accustomed to with Gladio but she would take in this moment where he was. It showed how truly vulnerable he could be, even with the act that he put on for everyone else.

“I love you, princess.” Gladio mumbled into her hair.

“I love you too, Gladdy. Thank you for forgiving me.”

Gladio released his grip on her and she took a step back from him. The cold reality hit Mia that their relationship was starting to become tense and more difficult by the day. This was the first and only time that they didn’t speak to one another for longer than a few minutes.

“You want to go out tonight?”

“I am exhausted, Gladdy. Tomorrow?”

“Yeah. That would be cool,” Gladio looked as if he was holding in something as he traced every inch of her with his eyes. “Shirt looks better on you anyway, by the way.”

“I know.” Mia danced around and looked over her shoulder at him.

“Alright. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll see you, Gladdy.”

There was hesitation in how Gladio walked to her to give her a hug. His fists clenched at his side before moving in to hold her before leaving. Their goodbye hugs were usually quick and light but this one was a little bit longer and a lot tighter. Gladio started to reach to run his fingers against her cheek but when Mia looked up at him, he released her immediately. Scratching the back of his head, he turned around to begin walking back home. A slight waving hand in the air followed. Mia stood there, slightly confused.

“See you, Mia.”

Waiting for him to walk away from her building, Mia sat with a few mixed emotions and wasn’t sure how to process them. On one hand, she was happy that her and Gladio made up and that the weight on her heart had disappeared. But, on the other hand, there was something different about their dynamic. It wasn’t just the Nyx situation and how much he hated Nyx. The fear that Gladio had was warranted but he seemed almost struggling with a concept that Mia couldn’t figure out. The pause in his movements and the gripping hug was different. A thought crossed her mind that he might know about Nyx but he would have been angrier and would have knocked the door down to get to him. She started to worry about him as he walked down the street with bad posture and a low hanging head. If there was something that he needed to tell her, he would have to do it soon. Mia still felt hurt that he hid Allie from her and the feelings that went with it. But, she wasn’t going to let a night go south because of it.

Not wanting to keep him, Mia walked back inside to see Nyx fast asleep on the couch. He hadn’t moved from when she left. Mia crawled on top of him and wrapped herself around him. His arm reached and slinked around her waist before adjusting himself to a more comfortable position. The light from the television kept Mia’s eyes focused on it as she waded through her thoughts. Sleep began to take hold of her and the warmth that Nyx was radiating made her fall back into a deep slumber.

\---------------------

Gladio sat next to Mia in the middle of the garden, a smile on his face. His hand found hers and he gave it a light squeeze before releasing it to her knee. Once he rose to his feet, Mia followed suit and looked up at him. Before she could speak, his hand was cupped around her face and his lips brushed gently against hers. The smell of his leather traveled through the air as Mia’s lips parted slightly. Gladio deepened the kiss and moved his hands to wrap around her waist. There was no denying how good it felt feeling his tongue battle for control with hers. Her hands ran up his chest and landed in his long black locks as she continued to kiss him hard. Gladio broke the kiss immediately after, breathless, and looked over her. Hunger filled his deep red eyes and a low growl fell across his lips. Their skin was set ablaze by their tender moment. He bent down to place his lips against her neck to create a trail to her collarbone. Teeth bit down hard forcing a gasp from Mia as she felt blood start to form around the fresh bite. His lips moved back up until she could feel his breath against her ear.

“Six, I **want** you.” He mumbled into her ear before tracing the outline with his tongue.

\---------------------

The throbbing pain between Mia’s legs startled her awake. She was alone in her sun filled living room. Nyx had left, most likely for work, and Mia hadn’t even moved in his departure. Fumbling around the couch lazily, Mia found her phone and looked at the time.

_11:39 AM._

There was a message from Nyx and a message from Gladio that scrolled across her screen. She opened Gladio’s first as it was the most recent. There was a slight tug in her chest as she read, remembering the dream she just had.

_Morning. Can we reschedule for tomorrow? I am exhausted. I wanted to thank you for talking to me last night. I am sorry for being such an asshole. Love you._

With a small smile, Mia quickly texted back without spending too much time thinking about how to phrase it. _No worries, Gladdy. I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow._

When she opened Nyx’s text, her heart skipped a beat.

_Hey beautiful. Sorry I had to jet. Didn’t want to wake you either. You looked too pretty to wake up. I get out early today if you’re awake and want to come by? I figure two dates are enough to compare apartments.. ;)_

Mia laughed to herself. _You’re too kind to me. Just text me when you’re on your way home._

Her phone vibrated immediately after with a response.

_I’ll be home at 2:00. I was thinking we could order in and hang? I like doing that with you._

_See you at 2:00._ She wrote back with a satisfied sigh.

Mia spent the rest of the morning -- what was left of it -- taking a long bath and slowly getting ready to head over to Nyx’s. The lavender scented water made her relax and forget about her conflicted feelings. Every thought that came to her about Gladio, she pushed away after rationalizing it. Her brain was clearly mixing her feelings for Nyx with her recent interaction with Gladio and sitting with false affection for Gladio wouldn’t have done her any good. Gladio was attractive to her but she knew that the relationship wouldn’t work. Especially when her desire for Nyx was incredibly strong. They had spent the past two days together -- flirting, holding one another, laughing together -- and only got close to kissing once. It was driving Mia slightly insane as she laid in her bath thinking of every curve of him. The craving for Nyx only continued to grow with each minute her lips weren’t locked with his. She appreciated Nyx’s manners but she started to think that Gladio breaking up their first potential kiss made him gun shy. She would give it one more date before making the move herself. It would be easier this time at Nyx’s apartment with a sleeping Gladio down the street. All she needed was the perfect moment to do so.


	6. If We Go Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have been so wonderful with your kudos and comments. Thank you!  
> I am going to start utilizing those adult-worthy tags next chapter as a heads up. Next Chapter will also be much longer than previous.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading this and I hope you enjoy!

Insomina’s skies were dark that afternoon and changed drastically from the morning. Clouds rolled through with the promise of a heavy rainfall. When Mia pulled her apartment’s door shut and made sure it locked tight, she cursed herself for not grabbing her umbrella. Willing to risk it, Mia proceeded to walk to Nyx’s apartment but took an entirely different route so she wouldn’t run into Gladio. While she was relieved that the two of them had stopped fighting, she didn’t want to have to explain herself to him just yet.

The streets were almost empty as Mia walked through them. Everyone was working or tucked away in schools scattered across Insomnia. The silence was enjoyable and allowed Mia to walk with a clear mind. The stillness was shattered in moments when a loud clap of thunder echoed through the sidewalks.

“Astrals.” Mia mumbled to herself while holding on tightly to her cardigan.

Her pace started to quicken and she dropped her head to keep her focus on the street as she walked. Nyx lived only a few blocks away from her but the trip was starting to become long with the storm forming around the city. It would be worth it, regardless of how dry she would be when she arrived. Another loud echo of thunder roared behind her followed by a string of curses from Mia’s lips.

When she could see Nyx’s bright blue roofed apartment, Mia’s body relaxed and slowed down. If his place was in sight, she would make it easily without a drop on her. But, once she stopped to look to cross the street to get to his side, she felt one single drop smack her square in the back of the head. Before she could reach the other side of the block, the rain had come pouring out of the sky. There was no use in running so Mia continued to let the rain soak her. Her dress clung tightly to her body while her soft waves started to straighten to wet locks that stuck to her face. She could feel her mascara running down her cheeks and all Mia could do was laugh to herself in response.

The stairs to the back of the apartment lead right to his with no neighboring doors to accompany it. She took a minute to squeeze out the excess water from her hair before knocking on his metal front door. Nyx’s footsteps vibrated the floor as he walked towards the door and Mia brushed herself off in preparation. When Nyx opened the door, his bright smile changed to his jaw dropping.

“Six, Mia! Are you okay?”

Mia chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face. “You aren’t into soaking wet girls?”

Nyx paused, smiled to himself to stop his immediate response, and gestured for her to come in. “Come inside before you get sick.”

When Mia walked in, she immediately noticed the little details of his home. The place was smaller than hers but it had a lot more of grittier feel to it. The concrete walls were covered in cracks. One high back chair was against the wall, wood outlined and dark green cushions, with two small wood tables next to it. Against another wall where the light would have poured through was his bed, made neatly for Mia. His clothes were hung up high where the sun would dance across them if it weren’t such a cloudy day. There was a cork board against his desk that had newspaper clippings and photographs of people Mia didn’t recognize. His Kingsglaive uniform was thrown over his desk chair and his boots stood up perfectly underneath. One oven, one small television, and a tiny fridge took up the rest of the space. It was definitely a bachelor pad but Mia absolutely loved it.

“It’s cute.” She turned to Nyx with a smile and mascara still running down her face.

“Thanks!” Nyx beamed, proud of himself. “Let’s get you cleaned up, huh? You can borrow some of my clothes and we will toss your set in the dryer.”

Nyx lead her to a small bathroom off to the side where he handed her a fluffy towel and gestured for her to use what she needed to. He left her to get a pair of his clothes so she didn’t freeze to death. When Mia looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but mock herself about how terrible she looked. She started to peel the dress and cardigan off her body as they tried desperately to cling to her skin. There was a slight knock at the door before it opened slightly with a handful of clothing for Mia. A wet dress and sweater were given in exchange. Without words, Nyx closed the door again and she started to change in the tiny walls of the bathroom. He left her a pair of jersey pajama pants and a black tank top which was too big for Mia but she would manage. When she finished cleaning up, she chuckled that the arm hole of the tank reached almost to the bottom of her rib cage exposing her lacy bra. The scoop neck didn’t do a good job of hiding it either. The pants, however, had a drawstring that Mia pulled tightly so she didn’t reveal the rest of the set. The sound of a door closing and the vibration of the dryer started on the other side of the wall.

Stepping out, she watched Nyx crouch in front of the fridge and start to rummage around for something. Bottles clinked against each other and the low hum of the fridge became their new slight background noise. Nyx reached for two bottles of beer before standing up to turn to face Mia. His reaction was as if he had never seen her more beautiful in his life. His breath hitched when he saw her before he cleared his voice to regain focus. Mia looked at him with a warm smile before walking closer to him until she was inches away.

“You, uh, want a beer?” He finally spoke.

“Sure.” A hand reached for one, intentionally brushing against his skin, followed by a quick twist of the cap. Mia took a sip before giving a satisfied hum. “This is a good beer.” She looked over him and smirked at their matching outfits. 

“Mm. One of my favorites,” Nyx’s eyes hadn’t left her since she walked out the bathroom. “Cheers?”

“Cheers,” Mia lifted her bottle to tap with his. Both took small sips before looking back to one another. “What do you want to do tonight?”

“We can watch a movie, if you want. As you can see, I have one chair. But, I do have a bed if you want to sit there. Pretty decent viewing of the television if I do say so myself.”

“You want to sit with me, though? You don’t need to sit too far.”

“Sure.”

Nyx and Mia sat on the edge of the bed together, drinking beers, and watching the television with no dialogue between them. Nyx caught himself tracing every curve of her neck to her chest and back up again as she was slouched forward. Mia didn’t notice but instead continued to down beer after beer that he handed her. At one point, she leaned back on her elbows to get more comfortable. Mia could see behind him then and followed his braids. The muscles in his back moved when he did and Mia drank each time she wanted to drive her lips against them. Nyx had his own battle of will and only lightly touched her knee once to draw shapes as they sat together without saying a word. The tension that grew between them was starting to become painful.

When Nyx went to get another beer for Mia, she could start to feel a slight buzz rush through her as she sat up to join him. She raised to her feet and waited behind Nyx as he moved through the different bottles in the fridge. He turned around and when he saw how she looked at him, he calmly put both bottles on the counter and ran a hand through his hair.

“I can’t do this anymore.” He whispered to himself.

Before MIa could protest or inquire further, Nyx’s hands were cupping her face and pulling her forward. His lips connected with hers as though it was destined to be. The kiss was soft and gentle just like Mia pictured it. His lips pushed a little bit harder onto her and they were the only ones in the entire world. Mia’s eyes fluttered shut as she continued to push into him. Everything felt perfect as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter into her. His arms found their way around her waist and pulled her close as the two held on to the pressure between them. After a few moments, Nyx pulled away - breathless.

“I have wanted to do that for days now.” He huffed against her.

“We should make sure that’s what you wanted.” Mia responded almost breathlessly, pulling him close again until his lips hovered over hers.

They continued to clutch onto one another until Nyx pulled back slightly to lick the outline of her lip to beg for entrance. When she parted her lips, he slinked his tongue through and started to battle with her for dominance. Mia just held him closer as his hands ran up and down her back. They kissed like that for what seemed like forever to them. Nyx pulled away panting, once, to look her over for a moment and then go back to kissing her hungrily again. The two never moved from that spot as they kissed and battled together for hours only to stop to order food and to greet the delivery driver at the door. Eventually, they moved to Nyx’s bed to continue their embrace and ghosting of each other’s bodies. Neither of them wanted to press forward or make anyone uncomfortable so they spent the evening together lip locked and in complete bliss. All Mia wanted was to explore every inch of him but tasting the beer on his tongue and feeling the pressure of his lips were enough to keep her happy for now.

When they exhausted themselves, they laid perfectly in one another’s arms in Nyx’s small bed and took in one another’s presence. Mia would lean to kiss his cheek every now and then and Nyx would smile against her with a hand running over her back as he held her. They didn’t need to speak at all. Instead, they allowed the silence to welcome them and wrap itself around their bodies. Mia fell asleep first, clinging tightly onto Nyx and letting his sandalwood cologne fill her lungs. Nyx was next to follow with a gentle kiss across Mia’s forehead before he slipped into a deep sleep.

\---------------------

The next morning, Mia stirred and felt Nyx’s arms wrapped tightly around her from behind. The sun was shining through the window behind them and flooded the room with warm light. Rolling over to face him, Mia could see Nyx still fast asleep which made her sink further into the bed. A hand raised up to run her fingers over his stubble gently. A weak smile came across Nyx’s lips as he slowly opened his eyes. Without saying a word, he leaned forward to press his lips against hers tenderly. He pulled away for a second with a smirk.

“Morning.”

“Mm. Morning.”

“Unfortunately, I have to get up at some point.” Nyx pulled her as far as he could into him. “I would rather lay around here all day with you, though.”

“As tempting as that is, I should get going eventually, too.”

Nyx ran his hand through her hair and kissed her gently again. “Am I going to see you tonight?”

“I have to go out with Gladio. But, if you’re still up late, you’re welcome to come over.” Once the name fell off her lips, Nyx shifted and loosened his grip on her.

“I would really like to get to know Gladio. I hate that you have to split time between us when we all can just hang out together, you know?”

“That requires me telling him about us,” She sighed before breaking from Nyx, rolling flat on her back and keeping her eyes focused on the cracked ceiling. “Not that I ashamed of this. I just know he’s going to -”

Nyx cut her off. “Freak out?”

Mia took in a sharp breath. “Yeah. In the past week, he has gotten really angry towards me. I know that some of it is my fault to begin with but he seems like he’s battling something and won’t tell me what it is. He’s awkward and distant at the same time. I want to be able to tell him about this. I want him to be okay with it. But, I also don’t have the emotional energy to go through another argument with him. Just want him to hear me out for a minute.”

“If Gladio truly cares for you, which I think he does, I am sure he will listen to you. He might freak out but he will calm down eventually. I am sure he just wants you to be happy at the end of it.”

“I know. It’s just ripping that bandaid off.” Mia turned to look him over. The sun shining behind him gave him a soft aura of light that surrounded him. “I just need to do it.”

Nyx leaned down and kissed her again. “I would like to introduce you to Crowe and Libertus at some point without having to be so secretive,” His voice was sincere in his request and Mia responded by pressing her lips to the groove in his neck. His whiskers tickled her nose as she did so. His cellphone alarm started to blast loudly above his pillow. Nyx was quick to silence it before turning back to Mia. “But, we can talk about this later.” A soft groan traveled across his lips, knowing he had to leave his idea of a perfect morning.

Pushing himself up and over Mia, Nyx started to get ready for the day while Mia watched him intently. Everything he did was painfully slow from pulling on his leather fingerless gloves to zipping up his Kingsglaive coat. His smile was cocky as he buckled his boots and looked her over. Nyx’s eyes never moved from Mia’s as he covered himself in his uniform. Neither of them noticed the lack of words between them but instead looked at each other with a deep craving.

“Hm?” Nyx broke the silence as he finished fastening the last buckle over on his boot.

“Just like looking at you,” Mia smiled at him. “Unless that bothers you.”

Nyx smirked at her in response. “I wouldn’t mind having a gorgeous woman look at me like that every morning that I had to go to work. But, I think we both have to get moving.”

Mia finally rolled over and stood to stretch out her entire body. She turned to face the warm sun that filtered through the window as she raised her arms up high above her head. Standing on her tiptoes, she released a soft yawn. Before she could lower her arms back down, Nyx’s arms were snaked around her waist with his chin resting lightly on her shoulder. He pulled her close to him to take in her scent and kissed her neck sweetly.

“You gotta go so soon?” Mia asked, finding his hands with hers.

“Yeah. Can’t be late, unfortunately.” Nyx kissed her neck again but with more desire in his movements. Mia reached one of her hands back to run it through his locks. “Though you’re making it difficult for me to leave.” As he continued, Mia let out a satisfied hum and wished he could stay for a bit longer. His kisses became rougher by the minute as he added his teeth to the mix and lightly started to bite at her neck. Spinning around, she stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek before he departed.

“Don’t forget where we left off.” Mia smirked, patting his cheek gently.

“Gives me something to think about all day.” Nyx kissed her cheek before releasing her and heading to the door.

Once he left, Mia started to gather her dried clothes from yesterday to start her walk back home. The dress was now dry and soft as it draped over her body. Nyx’s clothes were set into the laundry to be washed later. While she changed, she took her time to look over Nyx’s photographs and newspaper clippings. There was a woman in a photo that looked like Nyx in bone structure and she wondered if the two were related. He had not mentioned having a sibling prior but the topic hadn’t come up quite yet in conversation. Her focus was broken when she found the newspaper clipping of his home being invaded and her heart ached for him. There were rumors about the immigrants that came through to the Kingsglaive but she never truly listened to them. Some citizens of Insomnia couldn’t stand to see the sight of them and she spent a few times watching Insomnia citizens turn their backs on them. They were easy to pick out of a crowd. If Mia was going to continue her relationship with Nyx, she needed to educate herself. Part of her was intrigued and wanted to know more. But, she wasn’t going to ask Nyx outright. Instead, she made a mental note to talk to Ignis about it when she could.

\---------------------

As she walked home, the sun greeted and followed her through the streets of insomnia. People were bustling through to get to work and Mia greeted every single person that passed her. She felt weightless in the sun’s glow and couldn’t wipe the smile that came across her face. There was a skip to her step and a song that played in her heart. Even The Citadel was shining in the distance and reflected the rays back out into the city. Everything seemed perfect that morning.

With a quick shower and change of clothes, Mia headed over to the florist to see if she was needed on such a lovely day. The florist was one of Mia’s favorite places to be. The small storefront always smelled like pure bliss and it put Mia’s heart at ease in some of the worst of her times. It was sandwiched between two other office buildings, usually used for pop-up stores from Lestallum. The store had three wooden shelves along each wall that were covered in every color and type of flower available in Eos. Their customer base usually ranged between apologetic boyfriends to worried fathers, depending on the time of the year. Once in a great while, Mia would meet eyes with various members of The Citadel and help them choose the perfect arrangement for their loved ones. There was a flower for every occasion, no matter how big or small.

Her boss, a lovely short woman with silver hair, happily welcomed her to a few hours even if the week had been slow. They spent most of the day chatting about the bustling of Insomnia and Mia was fascinated to learn more about what it was like decades ago before she even arrived. It made the time go by quickly, though Mia didn’t mind the bright sun cascading throughout the store all day. The large windows in front made it easy for Mia to people watch and create vivid stories in her head about each person that walked by. It was a trick she taught herself in the slower months when her boss was travelling across Eos to gather flowers that were almost impossible to find.

When she checked the clock for the first time all day, a few minutes turned into a few hours and it was already the late afternoon. Her boss insisted she not stay the extra hour since everything had been done for the day but Mia insisted. Wiping the counters down for the third time, Mia’s mind wandered to one of her favorite holiday festivals. In a few weeks, business would pick up for the Summer Solstice at The Citadel. There was a huge parade and the streets were lined with people from all over Insomnia. People were truly happy as King Regis held a large ball that was finished off with an extravagant firework show for all of Insomnia’s citizens. Mia would end up sleeping behind the register for a few hours soon to utilize her time effectively to get The Citadel’s order done. It was one of her favorite projects that the florist had participated in even if it was incredibly time consuming for her. This year, she was hoping she could see her work up close and personal but Gladio would probably withhold the invite again.

Before she could allow herself to daydream any further, the bell rang at the door. Mia turned to greet the customer and then smiled while rolling her eyes.

“Oh, it’s just you Gladdy.”

“You know, I could be a customer someday.” Gladio rubbed on the back of his neck while grinning at Mia. He greeted her boss who blushed a deep shade of red in response.

“Lucky girl.” Her boss whispered as she headed towards the back of the store.

Gladio waved as she left and turned his attention back to Mia. “I figured you would be in one of two places so I thought I would try the closest one first.”

“Well, you found me.” Mia crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.

“Are you off yet?”

“Well, I -- “

A voice beamed from the back. “She’s finished for the day, Gladio!”

“That answers that,” Gladio didn’t allow Mia to argue. “Do you need to go home and change or do you want to just go?”

Mia started to untie her apron. “I don’t have anyone to impress so we can just go.” As she hung her apron up by the register, she reached in one of the pockets to grab her phone. Gladio fought a response and instead started to reach in his pocket.

“I texted you once or twice.” Gladio admitted, pulling out his phone to mirror her movements.

“Mm.” Mia scrolled through her missed calls and text messages. A few from Gladio, one from Ignis, inquiring if she would like to try his newest dish, and one from Nyx.

_Can’t stop thinking about you._

_Can’t stop thinking about your lips on mine._ Mia bit her bottom lip as she typed back. Gladio looked up at her as she quickly moved her fingers over the screen.

“Mia? You ready?”

Focused on her phone, she couldn’t hear him. Gladio stepped forward until the light on her phone seemed brighter and his leather scent filled the room. Looking up at him, Mia gave a nervous laugh before putting her phone away.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t even know who you’re texting. I am right here.” Gladio grabbed for her wrist and lightly pulled her through the front door to start walking towards the bar.


	7. Then We Go Down Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter went in a completely separate direction than what I thought it would.  
> So, adult content *next* chapter (I promise!) and apologies for those looking forward to it this chapter!
> 
> Thank you guys, as always, for taking the time to read this. I am loving writing this story and your comments and kudos are awesome. 
> 
> Thank you, too, for other writers who are rocking out across AO3. It's amazing to read your stories.

Everything seemed to be back to normal. Gladio was back to his joking self and didn’t act as if he was bothered by anything. He smiled more and laughed like he usually did. It put Mia at ease and helped her relax with him. They went to their normal spot up the street from the florist for a few drinks. Since they were early, choosing a seat was easy and they stood out against the older crowd that mingled there a few hours before they usually showed. 

“It’s weird being here when it’s daylight out.” Gladio mused, taking a large sip of his drink.

“Right? Does make me feel younger.” Her voice was low as she nodded to an older couple that sat a few feet away. Gladio responded with a light chuckle.

“How was your day?” 

“Good. It was slow but I figure these beers aren’t going to pay for themselves so I might as well put in a few hours.”

“You excited about the Solstice?”

“Totally. I think I am going to try to focus more on my color coordination this year. I am thinking about maybe using cold colors as opposed to bright warm colors. Like purple. Purple would be such a lovely color, don’t you think?”

“I am sure it’s gonna look great, Mia.” 

The two continued to chat for a few more hours. Gladio was starting to find that working with Noct had become easier in the past few days after Mia’s advice. Noct was starting to pay attention more and argued with him less. Of course, Gladio sent Ignis to do the talking to Noct instead of him but either way, it worked out. He lamented not being able to see Mia every day in the recent week but explained that he had been exhausted from pushing Noct to his limit. Mia stayed engaged and noticed his shift in personality from what she feared she would have to become accustomed to. He was smiling, laughing so hard his shoulders shook up and down, his eyes were a muted red, and once or twice he teased her about her obsession with how she looked. Her mind would remind her every now and then about the dream she had and she struggled to not make maps of his muscles not hidden by his open shirt. While she was with Nyx now, regardless of exclusivity, she couldn’t help but feel that thought gnaw at her. 

“So, Solstice in two weeks. Birthday party the week after.” Mia reminded herself aloud. 

Gladio nodded. “Yup. And after that, maybe we can go to Galdin?”

“That would be a ton of fun, Gladdy. Maybe we can invite Ignis, too?” 

“Uh, sure. Yeah. I think.” Gladio’s response was unsure and his breath of air he blew out wasn’t convincing either. 

“Do you not want him to go? Did something happen?” The front door of the bar swung open but Mia didn’t move to see who it was. 

“Listen, Mia. There’s something we need to talk about.” His voice grew more serious as a hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. 

“Okay, shoot.” Mia leaned back in the booth, arms crossed.

Before Gladio could respond, his eyes looked up and his entire body tensed. His breathing moved strictly to his nostrils as he shot daggers at some poor soul that just walked in. The awkward silence made Mia turn her head to squint at Gladio. His body didn’t move as his eyes followed Nyx, Libertus, and Crowe walking into the bar with smiles on their faces. Nyx smiled at Gladio in response and gave a slight nod to him as he walked. Crowe and Libertus rolled their eyes at Gladio but had a few moments to look over Mia. Stopping the group a few feet beyond Mia and Gladio’s booth, Crowe stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in Nyx’s ear. When he nodded in response, a smile appeared across Crowe’s face before she started walking back to where Mia sat. Confused, Mia looked up at Nyx who already had Crowe by the wrist and immediately whipped her back into the journey to find a table. Crowe whined a few times before looking over her shoulder at Mia. She even gave a little wave before being pulled into a nearby booth by Libertus. Mia gave a small smile in response to her and turned her attention back to Gladio who Mia was positive had smoke coming out of her ears. 

“I hate that dude,” Gladio mumbled before slamming the last of his drink. “You need another round?”

Meekly, Mia sipped the last of her beer before putting it finished on the table. Gladio snatched it with his free hand and headed to the bar in a huff. When Mia looked up over where Gladio sat, she could see Nyx was already interested in the exchange and gave her a warm half smile to counter it. Mia could feel her cheeks get warm as she smiled back at him. Her concentration was shattered when Gladio slammed down the glass of ale in front of her and slid back into the booth seat across from her. 

“So, what do you want for your birthday?” Mia changed the subject instinctively to avoid further complications.

Gladio took a deep gulp of his brown ale before relaxing his shoulders against the uncomfortable wooden seat. His eyes looked down at the table for a few moments before he cracked his neck with his wrist and swallowed his beer loud enough for Mia to hear. 

“Gladdy?” Mia reached out for one of his clenched fists which relaxed upon contact. His grimace turned into a smile as he glanced up at Mia. 

“That’s a good question,” Gladio pulled back his hands from Mia and pondered her inquiry for a bit. “I don’t know.” 

“Gladio, it’s your birthday, come on. There has to be something I can get you. If not, I’ll ask Iris and we know how well that went last time.” 

“I think that if you brought in Wiz’s chocobos into The Citadel again, I’ll probably be out of a job.” Gladio joked, laughing to himself.

“Hey, she said you love the things.”

“She mixed me up with Prompto.”

Mia paused, pursuing her lips. “When is Prompto’s birthday?”

“Oh, my Six, Mia. No more chocobos!” 

Aside from the uncomfortable situation that Mia had to witness earlier, the rest of the evening went smoothly. Nyx, Libertus, and Crowe stayed on their side of the bar while Mia and Gladio kept to theirs. When it was Mia’s round again, she took the glasses up to the bar with a drunken stumble. She didn’t have to speak or even look at the bartender while placing her empty vessels on the wooden bar. The bartender gave a quick nod and turned to grab two fresh drinks for her. Right beside her, three heavy glasses hit against the top of the bar with Nyx giving the bartender a signal to fill his round. Nyx never looked over at her but instead kept his eyes forward.

“Having fun?” He asked, never moving. 

“I am. You?” 

Nyx released a soft chuckle. “Libertus and Crowe are at it again. So, I am entertained for the moment.” 

“Did you tell Crowe --- “ Mia fought the urge to turn to face him. 

Nyx cut her off immediately with a slightly annoyed tone. “I did. She asked. I can’t really lie to her especially when I may or may not have talked about how lovely this new girl is and didn’t shut up for most of drills today. They know not to approach you if you’re with Gladio, though.”

“I am just waiting for the right time to tell him, Nyx. I am sorry.”

Finally breaking from his staring contest with the back of the bar, Nyx smiled down at her. “I am not mad, babe. I told you to take your time. I just don’t think it’s fair to you. You should be able to be who you want to be and be with whoever you want.” 

“I appreciate that, Nyx.” Mia turned to grab her drinks that the bartender had placed before her. With a smile, she half turned to look at Nyx. Nyx’s eyes moved to the bartender as he nodded towards MIa. 

“Those are on my tab, sir.” Nyx gave her a slight push away from the bar before she could protest. 

“Nyx.” 

“Go. I’ll see you later.” 

Instead of arguing, Mia rolled her eyes at him before coming back to the table. Gladio was engrossed in his phone again, texting rapidly. 

“Iggy?” 

“Hm? Oh. Cor, actually.’ 

“Oh,” Mia’s perky voice dropped to a serious one before sitting down. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Gladio put his phone on the table and flipped it with the screen side down. “He’s just wanting to discuss some spirit journey or something for those that seek it or whatever.” 

“That sounds fascinating. Will you tell me more?” 

“I can’t unfortunately. In a few months, I am going to be training with Cor a little bit more closely but we’re going to a location that can’t be discussed.” 

“Oh, how mysterious, Gladdy! Are you going to fight some crazy urban legend with The Immortal?” Mia teased, her eyes wide and her hands in the air. “And then be the biggest bad ass in Insomnia overnight?” 

“Anyway,” Gladio quickly waved his hand to change the subject with a laugh. “We were just chatting about the details. I’ll tell you about it when you’re older.” 

“I am a year younger than you!” Mia stuck her tongue out at him with her eyes closed and Gladio battled with forcing words down his throat. “Can I come with?”

“Oh no. No. Absolutely not.” 

“You never take me anywhere fun.”

“It’s not fun, I promise.”

“How do you know? Maybe I like fighting evil urban legends!”

“You wouldn’t.” 

“So, it is an evil urban legend.” Mia smiled, proud of herself. 

“I didn’t say that!” Gladio was laughing now before taking a drink from his glass. “I am saying you wouldn’t have fun running around with me and Cor through an area you don’t know and having to be on your guard the entire time.” 

“I wouldn’t mind being around Cor. Have you seen those piercing eyes? And that voice. Mm.”

“Mia, he is old enough to be your father.” 

Mia rolled her eyes, “No fun.” 

“Whenever you want to learn how to fight, you know where to find me. I am happy to teach you how to defend yourself. Would make me feel better about you walking home by your fucking self.” 

“If it makes you feel better. After Solstice? I can come in early before your training with Noct. Not that he won’t be up before the afternoon.”

As the time passed, the bartender called for last call before they knew it. Rounds and rounds passed through their fingers and their bills were paid out in a haze. The last bit of beer they tasted was delightful and made talking easy. Mia wanted nothing more than to tell Gladio everything but between his secret he kept and the reaction she knew she would receive, she needed to make sure that Gladio was in a better mood. A thought crossed her mind that she might take him out for a special day where she could make sure he was happy before telling him. Maybe she would hint at it for a while until he asked her. Either way, she needed to make sure it was the right time so she didn’t lose her friendship with Gladio.

As they left and parted ways, Mia made sure to walk to the corner and cross as if she was headed to her house. When she saw that Gladio was completely out of sight, she turned around and headed back to the bar. Outside, Nyx, Libertus, and Crowe stood together huddled under a lamp post that shined brightly above them. Crowe was smoking a cigarette and yelling at Libertus about Six knows what while Nyx made sure that neither of them slugged one another. When she wasted too much time fighting, her cigarette snuffed itself out. Without shifting her gaze from Libertus, Nyx raised his hand just below it. A light flame emerged and lit Crowe’s cigarette back up again. The three of them were unphased by what had happened as it was normal but Mia had to take a double take. She was used to seeing the Glaives run around and practice their magic at The Citadel, but seeing it outside of it without their garb on was different. The fire was gone before Mia could step any closer. 

In the streetlight’s glow, Mia finally got to look over Nyx. His usual attire of a tighter t-shirt and jeans with his heavy boots still took Mia’s breath away. She felt a bit overdressed in her red summer dress but the look on Nyx’s face when he saw her made it worth it. Nyx attempted to get the attention of his friends but they continued to argue back and forth loudly. With a laugh, Mia walked until she was a few feet away from the group. 

“Hey, Mia.” Nyx said loud enough to talk over Crowe and Libertus. Both stopped arguing and their scowls turned into grins as they waved and welcomed Mia to stand by them. 

“Hi, Mia! I am Crowe!” Crowe stuck out her hand and Mia took it gently with a quick shake. Mia was in awe of how beautiful Crowe was up close and how inviting she was. Her hands had the same callouses as Nyx with quite a few burn marks scattered across her skin. 

“He won’t shut up about you,” Libertus was blunt, taking Mia’s hand and bringing the back of it to his lips for a gentle kiss, “He definitely doesn’t deserve a beauty like you.” That’s when Crowe turned to yell at him again, this time about manners. The two continued to raise their voices against the darkness as Nyx stepped around them and pulled Mia in a tight hug. 

“Hey.” Nyx snickered into her hair as he placed a kiss on top of her head. 

“Hey. Busy night?” 

“Yeah,” He turned her to look at the two bickering friends. “Missed you, though.” 

“Missed you, too,” Mia lifted her head to accept his soft welcoming kiss against her lips. “Did you want to come to my place tonight or do you want to go to yours?” 

“Mine, if you don’t mind. Do you want to grab some of your stuff at your place?”

“Do you mind if I just borrow some of your things?”

“I don’t mind at all, babe.” Nyx turned to face Libertus and Crowe who were still at one another’s throats. Releasing Mia from his grasp, he walked to be in the middle of them and gave them each a gentle bump to send them in opposite directions. 

“You don’t say that to someone else’s girlfriend, Libertus!” Crowe screeched over Nyx’s hand. 

Girlfriend. Mia’s cheeks were dusted pink as the word traveled through her ears. Nyx didn’t disagree or correct her. 

“I was being polite!” Libertus retorted. 

“Guys,” Nyx stopped them instantly and they both sighed with rolled eyes. “I am gonna get going, okay?” 

“Oh, no. Come out with us for one more drink at the tavern? Please?” 

“Mia?” Nyx turned to her with a smirk. “One more?” 

“I would love that. It would be really nice to get to know you both better.” 

“I _adore_ her.” Crowe purred low enough to her drunken mind but loud enough for Mia to hear. Crowe pushed passed Nyx to continue her heated discussion with Libertus as they started to head in the direction Gladio had walked. 

Lacing his fingers in hers, Nyx began to walk side by side with Mia behind the explosive argument that evolved into why Libertus would always be single. There were little signals Mia could pick up on between them that showed how much the two of them enjoyed one another, regardless of their constant squabbles. Crowe would place her hand on Libertus’s back when she wanted to him to listen to her. Libertus’s voice would lower when something was important that she had to hear. Both had fire and passion in their eyes that could be seen from miles away. Once, Crowe threatened to light him on fire, literally, but when Libertus backed down, she decided it wasn’t worth it. The two constantly were connected by sparks and it made Mia smile as she watched them. 

“You didn’t have to go out, you know.” Nyx whispered. 

“I want to, though. They are your friends. They’re very sweet but most importantly, they’re a big part of your life. I want to be able to get to know them better.” 

“I wish I could say the same.” Nyx spoke softly to himself. While Mia heard him loud and clear, she didn’t respond but instead lightly squeezed Nyx’s hand. The beer that Mia had chugged with Gladio swam through her veins and made her feel euphoric. 

The lights from Insomnia burned brightly across in front of them. Bars, nightclubs, late night diners were some of the normal shops that would be open at this hour. Since it was the start of the weekend, the places they passed were filled to the brim with patrons. Drunk people staggered through the streets, laughing and hanging on one another, and enjoying the time that they had with together. Insomnia had its dark corners but the night district was different. Everyone was friendly and wanted to make sure you were comfortable. It made Mia feel more at ease and wondered why Gladio and her didn’t meet up there more often. 

The streets started to become a little bit less crowded but a lot dirtier as they continued. To Mia, she didn’t mind, but noted that she had never been this far before. The stores were evolving and changing before Mia’s eyes that she was in complete awe of the entire thing. Nyx noticed and pulled her closer to him with a tight arm around her shoulder. When they reached a series of small steps, they made their descent to a large wooden table with enough chairs for all of them. The platform it stood on was surrounded by metal fencing that kept drunks from falling into the river. Next to the table was a small red stone building with yellow tapestry. The middle half was open to reveal a kitchen and a lovely looking older male who was busy creating delicious dishes. The smell from the food wafted through the air and surrounded them. It was enough to get Libertus to stop screeching and roll back his shoulders. It didn’t take long for Mia to notice that everyone around her started to look similar in how they were dressed and how they presented themselves. Then, it dawned on her. She didn’t want to be rude so she kept it to herself instead. 

The tavern owner waved for Nyx to come over and magically (to Crowe) produced four metal glasses. Nyx took them with ease and brought them back to the table. All four of them sat down and started to drink the delicious beer that Mia had never tasted before. It was sweet but had a chocolate finish which made her give a satisfied hum after it slid down her throat. 

“Good?” Nyx asked, taking a generous drink. 

“Mmhm. I have had chocolate ales and stouts but nothing that has tasted like this.” 

“It’s a Galahad recipe we brought with to Insomnia. One of our favorites. I am glad you like it.” 

“I am surprised it’s not at the other bars.” 

“No one wants it.” Libertus spoke up, nodding to the barkeep. “So, we stopped offering the recipe. We’re shoved in some corner in Insomnia now. We like it this way, though. We can be ourselves and not have to experience the constant commentary from people in Insomnia. No offense.” 

Mia corrected him. “Oh, I am from Lestallum. Not that it makes it alright for anyone to speak that way to you guys.”

“Maybe that’s why we like you.” Crowe winked with a smile. “Enough with this sad stuff, Libertus. Let’s talk about something else.” Before Libertus could protest, she placed a hand up to stop him. “You’ve heard us bitch at one another. Tell us about you, Mia.” 

One drink turned into a few as the group shared stories from their various histories. Mia’s story with Lestallum was one she had told a hundred times but it was interesting enough that everyone started asking more questions about it. She promised Crowe she would take her someday and drag her through the market. The group was fascinated with the different delicacies there and what they tasted like. Crowe took the time to break down the powers the King had given them and how they worked on the battlefield. She described how each element was created, in detail, and what types of monsters they fought that were weak against it. Libertus would disagree with Crowe now and then but it was a few quick quips before the conversation got itself back on the right track. Mia was earnest in listening, asking all sorts of questions and apologizing if they came off as ignorant. Nyx, on the other hand, sat back and watched the three of them get on like a house on fire. The chemistry of his two best friends and Mia was unmatched and he loved watching each second of it. 

“We should get going soon,” Nyx considered, looking at his phone and back at the table. There was no protest from the others but there was a chain reaction of yawns and stretches. 

“Yeah it’s getting late. Or rather, it’s starting to get early. Sun will be up soon.” Crowe sighed, standing up with Mia to meet her. Crowe threw her arms around Mia with no finesse and gave her a huge hug. 

Libertus just gave her a very polite nod before pulling at Crowe to head up the stairs and back home. With another yawn, Mia looked back at Nyx with a smile. 

“That was nice. Your friends are very sweet.” 

“I think they like ya, babe.” Nyx winked at her. He stood up and reached for Mia’s hand until he found it blindly before taking her up the stairs and out in the emptied streets. 

The two walked in silence, staggering a few times from the sidewalk, and took in the evening that surrounded them. The neon lights were fading and turned into darkness as they passed but the view of the city from a different angle was invigorating. The friendly people of the city waved at the two of them as they continued arm in arm. What Mia couldn’t ignore was the pit that was starting to grow in her stomach. With the evening being almost perfect, she hoped that it would end the same way with her pressed tightly against Nyx’s body. The way he smirked at her when she saw a new piece of the city for the first time or the way he would trace shapes on her knee when she spoke to Crowe or even the way his sandalwood cologne broke her train of thought made her want him even more. She knew that there had to be some mutual feelings between the two of them but she didn’t want to push it further than it needed to go. Unfortunately, the beer was starting to ignore her manners and fight a losing battle with the thoughts rolling around in her head. 

What she couldn’t stop thinking about was the assumption of their relationship. Now, to Nyx’s friends, they were dating. Together. The two of them had discussed relationships and how they wanted to be exclusive with the next person they dated and wanted to start considering a long-term thing rather than a few one night hookups. While Mia’s brain didn’t allow her to forget about her sexual thoughts about Gladio, she didn’t even remember him at all when Crowe called her Nyx’s girlfriend. With that title alone, her feelings washed away and she knew she had to tell Gladio tomorrow. 

When they reached his block, her heartbeat started to quicken against her chest. Nyx had to have felt the vibrations as he looked back at her with a knowing half smile. When they reached the front of his building, quick footsteps came to her from behind. When she turned around, her heart no longer beat like a drum but instead came to a halt. Her stomach dropped to well beyond the ground as every excuse she could come up with rolled around in her head. But, she never dropped her hand from Nyx’s. Instead, she took a deep breath as the figure was now taking familiar form and jogging for her. 

It was no surprise that she would have to be met with a choice. She knew that at some point, she would have to rip the band-aid off and tell Gladio she was seeing Nyx. That she was his girlfriend. That they kissed and drank secretly in their apartments together. That he took her to the one floor Gladio never bothered to. How he tasted against her tongue and how his cologne drove her to the brink. All of that would be spoken of when he cooled down. But, she would tell him on her terms. There had to be a way. 

With Nyx and Mia being so careful in the evening, she forgot about Gladio’s morning jogs across Insomnia. There was no mistaking his tattoos or his black muscle tank or the deep blood red eyes that were now on fire. Before Mia could explain herself, he leaned over her with clenched fists and his voice became filled with rage. 

“What in the **fucking** Six is this?!”


	8. Out on the Terrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! :) 
> 
> First off, as always, thank you for your kudos and comments! It helps me chug along! I have been going back and forth with what direction to go in and I am loving the conversations that we're having together.
> 
> This is the *first ever* sex scene I have written in my life, so please be gentle! (No pun intended!)   
> Tags have been adjusted, too. 
> 
> Probably going to be a handful of more chapters and then I am moving to the next part of the series. If you have watched Kingsglaive, you should know where that break will be. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy :)

Mia’s mouth was dry. Her words escaped her. The lump that jumped in her throat almost choked her. Her mind froze. Her heart stopped. Nothing she could say would make the situation better. Nyx stood next to her, holding her hand tightly but kept his words to himself. If Gladio inched any closer, Nyx would remove him but he didn’t want to jump to such conclusions. She could feel the hot breath of Gladio across her face as she let her eyes flutter closed. Her tongue licked her lips before speaking up. 

“I -- “ Mia could barely get it out. 

Gladio stepped back with closed eyes, his head snapping back. “How long?”

“A few days. Maybe a week..” Mia muttered, looking away from Gladio.

“And you couldn’t tell me? You couldn’t take the time to talk to me? Your supposed best friend?”

“I knew you would,” Mia paused, her eyes still avoiding Gladio’s. The pit in her stomach that was forming kept growing. There was nothing she could say to fix the situation. “I knew you would freak. I didn’t want to talk to you about this until I was ready.”

“Mia, what is ready? You have had plenty of opportunity to talk to me about this.” Gladio opened his eyes and started to turn his head to read her. 

“I don’t know, Gladdy.” Even his nickname rolling off her tongue left a burn across her lips.

“You felt it was necessary to lie, then?” 

_Mia, don’t do it._

Mia’s eyes opened immediately, ignoring the inner voice. “Like when you lied about Allie?”

The air tightened and she could hear both Nyx and Gladio gasp for one quick breath before they stopped breathing normally. Her eyes searched Gladio’s. They were glassed over, exhausted, red. Something she hadn’t seen often. Nyx didn’t move, still, but kept a careful watch on Gladio’s reactions. Mia could see the breath catch in Gladio’s throat and how he struggled to respond. The words he wanted to say died on his lips until he stopped and bit his bottom lip hard. Her breath moved straight to her nostrils, ready to launch at Gladio in whatever response he had come up with. 

Calmly, Gladio took a deep breath in. “Mia, I apologize for not going through my ex-girlfriend history with you as a conversation piece. If you asked me, I would have told you and I know that you know I would have. That’s not something that I need to remember. It’s in the past where it belongs. This? This is in the present, right now. You could have just fucking told me instead of getting some weird ass revenge on me. You snuck around and acted like I was this fucking monster. I am not even angry that you’re seeing him. I am fucking livid that you kept this from me.”

Neighbors up and down the block were peeking out their windows or walking outside to make sure the authorities didn’t need to be called. With the new audience, Mia could feel her heart in her throat. That’s when she realized what she had done. In a way, it was to get back at him even if she didn’t want to admit it. She started to look outside the situation and realized that she was in the wrong from holding the secret so close to her chest. If Gladio snapped, walls could be replastered and items could be replaced. Noct would have survived his intense training that Gladio gave out of anger. But, keeping something from Gladio was tearing their relationship to the point of no return. The guilt rushed over her and any response she had was gone from her mind. 

Before Mia could speak, Nyx released a sigh before stepping forward. “Gladio, I -- “

“Stand down, Ulric.” Gladio put a hand up to stop him. “You have taken enough from me.” Gladio’s eyes never moved away from Mia’s. Tears started to form in the corners of hers. Not wanting to see her cry, Gladio’s glare turned to Nyx. “Never one apology from you. Nothing. You just walked around like you were top fucking dog of The Citadel because you landed Allie like she was some fucking trophy prize. And then she mysteriously up and leaves because of what? You treating her better than I could? Doubtful. I don’t trust you and I never will.” 

Mia knew his recollection was partially false but didn’t press it. She had no room to make demands as she was pushed to the wall on her last legs.

“Gladdy. Can’t we talk about this?” Mia was almost begging, tightening her grip around Nyx’s hand.

Gladio turned to confront her again, but this time his facial expression had shifted into a disheartened one. He no longer had a scowl or flames in his eyes. Instead, he looked like he lost a battle he hoped he won. “Not now. I am beyond fucking disappointed with you. You can’t give me the respect to tell me something? I don’t know if I need that type of friendship. I am not always this angry fucking Behemoth that everyone makes me out to be.”

_Arguable_ , Mia thought to herself. Gladio wasn’t wrong though. He was passionate and energetic. He raised his voice naturally in most situations but would never hurt someone who didn’t deserve it. 

Nyx stepped forward after moments of silence. “Gladio, come on. We gotta talk this over, man.” 

“I told you to fucking stand down, Glaive.” Gladio barked with a growl, his teeth grinding against one another. Boots sunk deeper into the ground as Nyx refused to falter. The heat from his skin was so warm that Mia could feel it in the small distance they were from one another. There were wheels turning in Nyx’s head to figure out the best response and all three of them could hear it. Gladio boldly took a step forward as if to challenge him further with his nose centimeters away from Nyx’s. If Mia didn’t speak up, they would be at one another’s throats. 

Her vocabulary continued to diminish. “Gladdy, I love you. I am sorry I didn’t think this through.“ 

“Obviously not,” Gladio looked over Nyx one more time before he pushed through them and broke their interlocking hands. “I need space. Don’t call me or text me. I don’t want to talk to you for a while.”

“Gladdy, you’re not serious, right?” Mia cried, turning around to watch him. 

“Enjoy time with your fucking hero.” His voice cracked as he muttered his response. 

He started his jog again, running in the opposite direction of what they were facing. Mia wanted to run after him as fast as she could but instead, she felt heavy weight on her heart. If she chased him, he would outrun her or he would want to be even further away from her. To keep the neighbors at bay, Nyx lead her up through the back to his apartment so it didn’t escalate. It was easy for her to hold it together in front of the wandering eyes around the block, but as soon as the door opened, she couldn’t hold it together anymore. Nyx held tightly onto her as she cried when he closed the door behind them. Mia protested and apologized for what the neighbors thought but Nyx hushed her concerns and allowed her to bury herself into him. 

The rest of the early morning, Mia was silent against Nyx’s chest, his shirt wet with her heartache. They moved to the bed where he allowed her to drain herself of emotions. He didn’t mind in the least. Instead, he just held her as hard as he could without hurting her, wiped her tears, and gave her permission to let go of every painful piece she had in her until she fell asleep. While there was nothing that Nyx could do, it was difficult to watch her feel the way she did. A few scenarios crossed his mind a couple times, but he couldn’t manage to force himself to even start. All he could do was worry for Mia and feel slightly guilty for the position she was put into. At the time, the idea to slowly work the guts to tell Gladio seemed like a good one. But, it ended up giving both more trouble than they hoped for. The two eventually fell asleep in one another’s arms after an exhausting evening and early morning. 

When Mia opened her eyes, the apartment was empty and quiet in front of her. Through her sleepy daze, she thought Nyx had left her to herself. But, strong arms were wrapped around her waist and pulling her close. The sun was peeking in from the window behind her and warming the room to its core. It had to have been late afternoon, she thought. Her hands found Nyx’s and a muffled hum escaped him. His lips started to trail from her shoulder to the curve in her neck lazily. He stopped when he reached close to her ear and blew out a puff of hot air. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Mia whispered back, running her fingers over his. 

“How are you feeling?” 

Mia thought for a moment before responding. “Awful.”

“You want to talk about it?”

Flipping to face him, she shook her head. “Not now. I don’t wanna even think about it.”

“Okay. Is there anything I can -- “ Nyx was cut off immediately by Mia’s lips against his. 

They could have discussed it, but Mia had other plans entirely. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it with Nyx, but she didn’t want to think for a little bit. She wanted to feel Nyx against her in every way that he would let her. Her heart was being pulled in two different directions to where she had to prove to herself that this was the right choice. She already felt confident in her decision but the rest of her had to be sure, without a doubt. One of her hands reached up and laced her fingers in his hair, pushing him closer to her as she kissed him. Nyx deepened the embrace by biting lightly against her bottom lip to beg for entrance. When her lips parted, Nyx slid his tongue gently into her mouth and glided along as if it was home. 

With a moan, Mia pulled him in tighter and returned the favor. The way he tasted set Mia into complete ecstasy and she started to get lost in him. After their intense kissing started to make them breathless, Nyx pulled away gently and cupped her face. 

“You sure you -- “ 

Mia stopped him speaking with another searing kiss to answer his question. She didn’t need him to speak much, outside of her name, and she sure didn’t need to have a long discussion about it. She quickly went back to battling against his tongue and giving soft moans with each defeat. Nyx gripped her tightly and hummed sweetly against her. Eventually, his lips broke from hers and started to leave a path against her neck to her collarbone to her chest. When his teeth started to bite down against her skin, MIa squirmed against him and pressed his head further into her. Nyx responded immediately by tracing her neck with his tongue up to her earlobe. When he reached his destination, he bit down lightly and sucked in the small amount of skin between his teeth. While she gasped against the open air, he flipped her on her back and found his way between her legs. Instinctively, Mia opened her legs and wrapped them tightly around his torso. 

While there were layers of clothes between them, Mia could feel Nyx pulsating against her core. Instead of reacting impulsively, she started to dig her heels into his back to bring him down as she grinded up against him. Nyx’s teeth began to scrape against her throat as he left small bites across her skin. 

“You keep this up, I won’t be able to control myself.” Nyx huffed, trailing his lips down to her collarbone again. 

“Lose control, then.” Mia purred into his ear, rolling her hips against his. 

With those words, Nyx grinded hard into her and moved his lips to the exposed skin of her chest. Looking up at her, his eyes trailed down at her chest and back up and waited for her to give permission to move forward. With the dress in the way, he wouldn’t be able to continue. He took a quick moment to reach behind her but struggled with the zipper on the back of her red dress. Mia helped as best as she could, while still trying to steal kisses from him with every inch that her zipper moved. With how badly she wanted him, she didn’t care if he ripped it clean off her body but she was too focused on his lips to mention it. When Nyx was successful at creating the opening behind her, she wiggled out of her dress for Nyx to toss it on the floor beside his bed. The fabric against her skin alone brought an explosion of goosebumps across her entire body. Exposed to just a lacey black bra and underwear, Nyx took a moment to drink in the sight of her which was completely raw and vulnerable. When her hands went to cover herself, he gripped her by her wrists and pinned them above her head. 

“You don’t get to hide from me, babe.” 

Drawing a line with his tongue, he traced from the middle of her chest and up her neck. Mia struggled under his grip until he moved both hands to cup her cloth covered breasts. 

“This has to go,” He mumbled against her throat. “May I?” 

Mia used her index finger to pull his chin up to meet his eyes. “I think you’re a bit overdressed, love. That has to change first.” 

Nyx grinned at her mischievously with the tip of his tongue touching the corner of his mouth. Not having to tell him twice, he knelt backwards to sit on his heels while pulling off his shirt to expose even more tattoos and scars. When he reached for his belt buckle, Mia stopped him and sat up to run her fingers gently over the history of his skin. Touch turned into gentle kisses as Mia started to memorize each piece as if they were a series of constellations. Nyx’s fingers dropped from his belt to weave through Mia’s hair as she continued to place her lips on each mark she could see. Certain spots caused soft moans or sharp inhales and Mia planned to remember what each one did for a later date. Her hands reached down to slowly unfasten his buckle and undo the button on his pants. Making sure her palms pressed lightly against his ridge, Mia looked up at Nyx while slowly tugging down on the zipper. 

Nyx grabbed her face in both of his hands and pulled her up to crash his lips into hers all over again. Hands ran up and down their exposed skin to explore what they could. With one hand in his hair, Mia moved her free hand to trace the band at the top of his boxers. Nyx released a shudder against her lips as she reached down under the fabric to grab his throbbing cock between her hand. Gently, she traveled along him to feel every inch that she could before slowly starting to stroke him back and forth. Nyx found her bottom lip and bit down harder than before while moaning with each caress. The Astrals were being cursed under each heavy breath as Nyx started to feel his body tense up under her touch. Breaking the kiss, he looked at her through heavy lids. 

“Not -- fair --” Nyx panted, reaching behind Mia’s back to fumble with the clasp of her bra. It took a few tries and one or two curses before he was successful. He pulled at the straps with force and broke Mia’s rhythm to make sure that there was no more fabric between him and her breasts. When she could continue her pattern along his shaft, his calloused thumbs found her nipples and rolled over them tenderly. Mia arched her back at him and started to move her hand quicker in response. One hand moved to her back while the other gave each of her breast incredible attention. 

“Nyx.” Mia whispered in prayer with harmonious moans. If she had more words, they died on her lips before they made it out alive. Neither of them could feel the sweat drip over their burning skin.

“Can I move further? Is that okay?” Nyx leaned down, kissing her neck again. With a slight nod to his question, he traveled down to take her hardening bud into his mouth while playing with the other. His tongue swirled around her nipple and Mia took in a sharp breath while releasing her grip around him. With a slight push, Nyx was over her again and flicking his tongue against her stiffened peak. Mia started to unravel and involuntarily buck her hips in need against his. While Nyx moved over to her other mound, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. “Impatient, are we?” 

Before Mia could answer and break through her string of pants, his mouth was already on her other nipple and suckling at it roughly. With a whimper, Mia dug her heels into his lower back and pushed her sex against him. Even though Nyx seemed to remain patient, he fought the immediate need to ravage her senselessly. Their first time together had to be a good one, to him, and he wasn’t going to rush through everything even though she was making it extremely difficult. Nyx was a good lover to be sure but he wanted to learn all of Mia’s likes and dislikes, what she wanted and craved, and what drove her to the point of insanity in their current situation.

Mia, on the other hand, felt her willpower wear thinner by the minute. His lips across her skin, his tongue twisting in ways she couldn’t dream of, and the feeling of his clothed length pressing into her was enough to make her skip all of Nyx’s plans and destroy him. Gladio sat in the back of her mind again and she forcibly pushed him out each time. Part of her was still shaken from the entire situation and she hated that she allowed him to enter her mind still. Nyx’s movements constantly brought her back to reality, however, as the knot in her stomach grew tighter. In the position she was in, she couldn’t reach for Nyx to pleasure him. Instead, she started to create red lines in his back with her nails while growling. Her heart was beating so rapidly she could only take little sips of breath.

“Can I taste you?” His lips were quickly breathing hot air against her ear as he asked for permission again. Mia knew exactly what he had in mind and instead of responding verbally, she pulled him to her lips and held on to him for dear life. Her hungry mouth melded to his as his hand wrapped lightly around the back of her neck. Knowing what was coming next, Mia was sure she would be calling upon some God she never even prayed to before. Releasing him from her embrace, she searched over his gray eyes before nodding in response with a gentle smile. 

Moving slowly down, Nyx pressed his lips from her neck to between her breasts until he reached the top of her panty line. Mia propped herself up on both elbows and watched him lay kisses across the top of her underwear. One hand reached up and pressed down gently against her inner thigh while the other lazily teased against her skin. Stopping for a moment, Nyx looked up at Mia while slowly moving the fabric to the side with his free hand. His gray eyes were gorgeous to her as she watched them change from passionate and adoration to bestial and primal. A rough thumb ran gently over her clit while maintaining eye contact. 

“Are you this wet just because of me?” He mused, picking up his speed and applying slight pressure against her exposed bead. Another finger found its way into her slick folds and Mia leaned forward into his touch, her hips pushing Nyx’s finger further into her heat. His thrusts went from slow and sensual to rough and hard quickly and Mia couldn’t stop herself from cursing his name. Nyx grunted in response, easily turned on by the movement. His body pulsated wanting to be closer to Mia than he already was. 

She couldn’t help but moan helplessly and speaking incoherently as he worked through her. In a quick motion, Nyx pulled off her panties and discarded them to some unknown area on the floor before pushing her legs to straddle his shoulders. Mia opened her eyes to look down to watch Nyx run his tongue softly over the outside of her wet folds. Her hands found themselves wrapped in his hair as he started to devour her dripping sex with his mouth. His stubble tickled only slightly across her skin but it pulled the corners of Mia’s lips every time. 

“Nyx, fuck,” Mia groaned, tightening her legs around the sides of his face. A wave of pleasure rushed across Mia as she arched back with each thrust of his tongue. The deeper Nyx dove, the louder her cries became. He lapped away at her juices and took a sprawled hand to her abdomen to push her down further into the mattress. Wanting this for days, her orgasm was imminent. Moments before she could reach her climax, she took a deep breath and called for him. “Nyx, stop.” She breathed heavily, feeling her entire body on fire. 

Stopping immediately, Nyx looked up at her with concerned eyes. He crawled to be on top of her and glanced her over. “Mia, what is it? Am I hurting you?” 

“I need you. Please.” She was begging, rocking her hips at him one more time but never breaking her gaze from him.  

“You’re sure?” His tongue, ran across his bottom lip as he fought the smirk that was forming. 

“Yes. Please. Unless you’re not?” 

Nyx responded, bluntly. “Mia, it’s literally all I have thought about since I first time I laid eyes on you. Seeing you across the bar,” His fingers found her wet petals again and were curling and moving in ways Mia never experienced. “Seeing you in that tight black little number that I know you wore just for me,” A calloused thumb ran over her clit with rough pressure. “Being unable to touch you while I at The Citadel.” The pace quickened for his fingers, covered in her wetness. “All I have thought about,” He leaned closer to her ear as she tightened her walls around him. “Was claiming you for my own.”

Mia reached a hand to caress his cheek before pulling his down for a sweet and fast peck. 

“Then claim me as yours, hero.” 

That was all he needed. Pulling back out of her, Nyx rolled off the bed to his feet and pulled down both his boxers with his pants and stepped out of the mess he formed on the floor. Once his cock sprang from his boxers, Mia couldn’t help but stare at him with even more lust than she already had shown him. Not wasting time, Nyx climbed back over Mia and bent down to kiss against her collarbone. The taste of her essence was against his lips and stroked against her tongue. Mia’s hips pushed back into his, feeling the tip of his cock grind against her clit. 

It had been months since Mia had been intimate with someone. The last person was some stranger she met at a bar in Lestallum. The sex she had was drunk and misguided and left her completely unfilled. His name was one that she didn’t care to remember and his performance matched. This time, however, she was getting more than she ever wanted. Nyx, on the other hand, hadn’t found anyone to match his needs and couldn’t fathom taking someone home for a one night stand. Since Allie, he had been hoping for someone like Mia. Someone he could have real chemistry with and not a quick meeting that would fizzle out quickly. 

“If you want me to claim you, you have to be patient. I don’t want to hurt you.” He whispered into her neck to break her from her memories as he hungrily nipped at her skin. Spending a little bit of time there, he kissed her shoulder gently before biting down hard enough to warrant a gasp from her lips and sucking on her enough to leave a mark. No one else would see it, of course, but to Nyx it was enough to know that she belonged to him. The barbaric part of him loved watching the brand form across her supple skin and feel her squirm under him as he did it. She could walk the halls of The Citadel and it would drive him wild knowing that there was proof of owning her and that no one else could claim her like he would. 

From the first time he looked her over in the dive bar, he thought about this moment and how she would feel against him. It was beyond his wildest fantasy. She was softer and more audible than he had hoped. 

With a loud pop, Nyx stretched backwards. Positioning himself in line between her legs, he took a deep breath before slowly pushing his cock inside her. Her wetness against his tip made Nyx grunt, trying to maintain his focus and not finish immediately. As he filled her, he was careful to not push too hard or too fast. His thrusts were slow at first, waiting for her to adjust. Her walls gripped tightly around him as his hips moved back and forth and all Nyx could do was plant both hands on either side of her face in a huff. Filling her entirely, she couldn’t help but whimper impatiently. 

“Six, you’re so tight.” He growled, keeping a slow pace and looking to her for direction.

“Faster. And harder, Nyx, please.” Her voice trembled under him. 

His hips started to pick up a sharper pattern and when he pulled out of her, he would immediately slam back into her. Each thrust pushed a scream out of Mia’s lips. The way she wrapped around him was intoxicating and he moaned loudly at her grip. He didn’t want to destroy her, at least not this time. Instead, he kept a steady pace while his sweat dropped against her skin. Every time he sheathed into her, she cried out in loud and desperate moans with increasing volume. While his pace got faster, it wasn’t frantic. Nyx’s eyes focused on her bouncing breasts as he thrusted deep inside of her. The sight was one he missed from being with someone. 

With the head of his cock hitting every spot that Mia craved, the knot in her stomach grew to her chest faster than she wanted. They rolled together in rhythm for what seemed like forever and called out each other’s names into the empty apartment. Tightened legs wrapped around Nyx’s hips, begging him to go deeper and his back was marked with by her nails to claim him in her own way. The only thing that stopped Mia from unraveling completely was feeling his hot breath against her lips as he leaned down and kissed her hard. Clenching down on his throbbing cock, Mia screamed his name aloud for all his neighbors to hear one last time as she released her tight frame. His name on her lips could have caused him to completely explode but he kept moving. Nyx allowed her to ride it out as he continued to reach his peak. There was no time to be a gentleman and ask as Nyx could feel his soul leave his body. He pulled out of her and continued to stroke his cock above her. After a few throaty sounds, Nyx reached his climax and moaned as he came hard onto her flat stomach. The warmth of his seed could barely be felt by Mia and she laid there with exasperation and exhaustion. His face buried into her neck and a few curses danced across his lips until there was nothing left but silence. Minutes passed as the two laid there, completely frozen in time. The taste of beer laid across both of their lips and tongues and the smell of their deed filled the air. 

When he regained some resemblance of consciousness, Nyx pushed himself off the bed and grabbed a towel that was thrown on the back of his desk chair. He didn’t need to communicate with Mia to lean down over her. With a swift movement, he removed his vitality from her stomach with mumbled apologies and discarded the towel into the closest laundry bin. He didn’t spend too long away from her and quickly found his way to her side again. There was no use in listening for her heartbeat as it rang loud enough through the quieted room. Her heart pounded against him as he nuzzled her neck and kissed her neck gently. 

“I hope that was good.” Nyx said weakly. 

Mia responded with heavy breaths. “It was amazing, Nyx.” 

“Good,” Nyx nuzzled further into her neck. “It was everything I hoped for.”

The two laid together, still in the afternoon glow. Mia had forgotten about her episode with Gladio, even if it was for a short amount of time. Nyx marveled in the mark he left against her skin and would gently kiss the symbol of his desire from time to time. Neither of them spoke for the next few hours but instead lightly played with one another’s hair or gently caressed their exposed skin absentmindedly. Everything in that room was perfect and everything they both wanted. Mia watched the dust float carefully along the sun beams that poured into their space while Nyx memorized every freckle that Mia had across her shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, Gladio will be back. We just don't know! Stay tuned.


	9. Taking Pictures of Yourself on the Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> I am so sorry this took literally forever.  
> Work has been crazy and I have been traveling all over the place!
> 
> This is the last chapter of 'Let's Show Them We Are Better' but I do promise to continue the story in the next part of the series. I can't have Gladio and Mia not speak to one another as an end note, right? Keep your eyes open for that as I am writing it currently! I'll be putting it up soon.
> 
> As always, thank you guys for your comments, kudos, and feedback. It means the universe to me. You guys are wonderful humans and I adore you.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. 

It was a constant struggle daily for Mia to not call Gladio, apologize profusely, and beg for forgiveness. She made a silent promise to herself that if he didn’t talk to her soon, she would end up giving in and calling him. There was no determining when that would be but the more days that passed, the harder it was to ignore the promise. Nyx always talked her out of it and explained that Gladio needed the space. He never would tell her that they exchanged glances in the hallways or that Gladio would leave a room he occupied within minutes. Nyx would never tell her how beaten and battered Gladio looked or that he wasn’t taking the situation well. Once, while passing in the hallway, Gladio forced a smile with his head held high while passing Nyx. It was the worst attempt at showing how happy he was. There was one opportunity of seeing Gladio at The Citadel for the Solstice but Mia couldn’t bring herself to do it. Crowe begged her, asking her to come with so she wouldn’t be bored on duty, but Mia kindly declined. Instead, she convinced a coworker to set up the flowers that she had worked so hard on. Even with the proximity of their lives, Mia did her best to stay out of Gladio’s. 

But, he was never far from her mind. Everything around Insomnia pulled on Mia’s heart. It was easy to smile it off in front of Nyx and their friends but Mia couldn’t shake it. Her dreams were starting to become more vivid and real. Some evenings, she would imagine Nyx’s skin turning to what looked like stone. Other evenings, she was screaming in Gladio’s face and filled with complete confidence. Once a week, however, her brain wouldn’t let her forget her passionate dream she had of Gladio before. Each time she had that dream of him, it became more intense leaving Mia breathless when she finally snapped out of it. If her and Gladio were still on speaking terms, she could brush it off but she found herself thinking about it more. The guilty feeling weighed on her for even letting her mind wander there but she was beginning to believe that she didn’t view Gladio like a brother anymore. Still, she tried to rationalize and blame the situation on her heightened emotions. 

Nyx held the tradition of bringing Mia dinner while she worked up to the Solstice. After she mentioned that Gladio would spend his evenings bringing her dinner and sitting with her while she worked, Nyx did his best to not break the custom. At first, it stung in Mia’s heart to be reminded of the practice but she soon taught herself that she needed to make new memories. Even with the heartache, Mia produced the best arrangements she had in her time at the florist and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t proud of her work. 

Evenings at the bar were spent in the dark corner of the city where she wouldn’t see Gladio or Ignis. Through hundreds of glasses of alcohol, MIa could find something relaxing about the place. She laughed with Nyx and his friends and forgot about her pain for a bit. It was rare but she would find herself hovering her thumb over the call button when she was drunk and Nyx would grab her hand with a light squeeze to bring her back. Almost every night ended walking arm and arm with Nyx on a buzz that made her feel numb from her head to her toes. 

Their days were almost the same pattern. Nyx would run off to work and either leave Mia curled into a tight ball in his bed or Mia would walk with him to the flower shop. When they both were out, they would rush home to change and meet up with their friends in the shadows of Insomnia. When they returned home in a drunken daze, Mia and Nyx would end up wrapped around one another in a mess of blankets. They spent time truly exploring one another and learning together. Every evening was passionate and they were addicted to the taste of one another. 

The trees were starting to shift colors, slowly, giving the warning that autumn was on the way. Mia and Nyx discussed going on a trip together, soon, to Lestallum when the weather turned too cold for either of them. Some days, they gushed about going to the market together and making dinners with their fresh ingredients. 

Talking about cooking made her miss Ignis but he never pushed to see her. After one evening of drunkenly crying into the receiver, Ignis gave her the space she needed. A few text messages would fly between them to check in on one another but there were never plans made or hopes of seeing one another again. With the promise she made to herself, she placed Ignis there as well. There would come a point where she couldn’t avoid Gladio anymore and would need to talk to him. 

She just needed a little more time.

\---------------------

The wind howled against the window in Nyx’s apartment on a Thursday afternoon. Mia let herself in and huddled in the corner of the bed. The weather shifted in Insomnia over the recent week and something was eating at Mia that she couldn’t quite define. For the first time in their relationship, Nyx was late to come home and the fear grew inside Mia with each passing minute. There was mention of a major problem over text earlier in the day but that could mean anything from border control issues all the way to death of his comrades or much worse. Mia’s eyes didn’t leave the loud ticking clock that hung sideways above the bathroom door except to check her phone to see if a new message came through. 

Her eyes started to grow heavy as the darkness covered the city for the evening. There were no calls or messages from anyone and even checking the news didn’t give her any pieces of information. The dinner that she brought from Nyx’s favorite diner was starting to get cold against the counter. The ticking from the clock started to seem slower and louder in Mia’s ears. No matter how much she fought it, Mia found herself laying down against the bed and wrapping the blanket around herself. The scent of sandalwood surrounded her from the pillows underneath her as she finally lost the will to stay awake. 

Tight arms wrapped around her in a familiar movement and Mia slowly opened her eyes to meet Nyx’s. His eyes showed exhaustion with deep black bags underneath. With a sigh, Mia raised a hand to run over the side of his freshly shaved head. There was part of her that was angry but she quickly pushed that down and replaced it with concern. A few moments passed in silence until Nyx gently kissed her on the forehead. 

“I am sorry I didn’t call.”

“Nyx, it’s okay. I just was worried was all. Are you okay?” 

“I am okay.” He said, defeated. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Nyx broke the embrace to roll on his back and look up at the ceiling. Mia leaned over to rest her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. There was no expectation of explanation but Nyx couldn’t help himself. 

“We were at the border today. The Empire is bringing in its worst. They’re coming down harder and harder on us with new friends. Crowe struggled to create the magic we needed and Libertas almost died due to his own stupidity. I can’t blame him because he’s always doing his damndest to support the Glaive. But,” Nyx paused and released a breath that he seemed like he had been holding onto for some time. “But, I disobeyed orders. I was just trying to save Libertas. The Captain has reassigned me to border control because of it.” 

“Drautos is the worst.” Mia mumbled into his ash scented skin. 

“He forgets we do this because of where we come from. I disobeyed an order, sure, but it was to save someone from my homeland. Now, I am on border control with probably some racist prick for the rest of my days. But, it was worth it. For hearth and home, always, no matter what Drautos says. At least Libertas will be alright. Broken arm but he will be okay, I just know it.” 

“Do you want to go out tonight to blow off some steam?” 

“Nah. We’re going to go out tomorrow, though. If you want to come?”

“Of course, I want to come, Nyx. If I do, it’ll be much later because I have to go run a few errands but I am there, definitely,” Mia looked up at Nyx, seeing his struggle to stay awake. “I am sorry you had such a hell of a day. But, Six, I am glad you’re safe.”

“I am always safe.” A cocky smile crossed Nyx’s face before he placed another kiss to her forehead. Mia hugged onto his body tightly, wrapping her legs over his stomach. 

“I hope that you don’t get some piece of garbage as a partner tomorrow. Maybe you’ll be paired with someone from back home?” 

“Unlikely. I just don’t want to have that fucking conversation over and over why I don’t belong here.” 

“Take the high road. If they start blabbering about your heritage, just look straight on and don’t respond. You just have to do your job, Nyx. That’s it. You’re not there to make friends. You have awesome ones who will be waiting for you tomorrow.” 

“That’s some great advice, babe. I will.” 

“I got you some Kenny’s if you’re hungry.” 

“You spoil me.” Nyx’s words started to become mumbles and slurs. Before Mia could respond, she could hear his soft sounds of falling asleep. It didn’t take long for her to follow suit and close her eyes with him.

\---------------------

The week had proved difficult for Nyx from his first day at the border to his argument with Libertas. The group of friends seemed more on edge than usual and were starting to crack with every interaction they had. Luche Lazarus, someone who had always been kind to the group, was starting to poke at them with snide remarks and abandoning the group’s core belief. There was something off about him that Mia couldn’t put her finger on and the more she drank, the more she wanted to say something to him.  
Nyx could feel the heat rise off her skin and gripped at her wrist when she was ready to counter Luche. If Nyx could, he would let her loose on Luche and let him be screamed at. But, with the recent developments, he couldn’t risk being demoted even further. If Luche started in on Mia, however, that would be an entirely different story. 

The night before she disappeared, Crowe spent the evening poking fun of Nyx and his new position. She reminded the group that not only were there enemies on the border but there were human monsters that walked the streets and worked with them. The spirit of the Glaive was beginning to fade and whether Nyx saw it, Mia could pinpoint it from a mile away. Of course, she stayed quiet through the entire conversation as she didn’t have anything to add being a sweet girl from Lestallum. 

“I have to go on a mission tomorrow.” Crowe said factually, taking a deep drink from her cup. The boys knew that she needed to but she was saying it mostly to catch Mia up. 

“Doing what?” Mia asked.

“Classified, unfortunately. Not even these two idiots know.” 

“It’s not going to put you in danger, is it?” 

“Mia, I might hang out with these dumbasses a lot but I am not stupid. It’s a simple extraction mission. I should be back within a few days. You will take care of Libertas and Nyx for me while I am gone? I don’t want them to think they can’t be kept in line.” Crowe winked and waved her cup at the bartender. 

Mia laughed in response. “Of course, Crowe. I’ll take care of them.” 

“Like hell. Crowe, you have always been like a sister to me!” Libertas drunkenly interrupted. “I don’t know what I would do if something were to happen to you.”

A quick eye roll from Crowe shushed Libertas up immediately. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be careful. Promise. Hey, Mia. Maybe when I get back we can have a girls’ day. You know, no boys allowed.” Crowe dug around in her pocket until she found her crumpled pack of cigarettes and flipped one to her lips. “Go like do girl stuff, you know?” 

Nyx was quick to light her cigarette with the small flame in his hand, forcing a groan out of the bartender. Closing his fist, Nyx extinguished the fire and let his hand fall by his leg again. When Mia reached for his hand, his skin was still warm to the touch. 

“We can do girl stuff! I am pretty good at that!” Mia beamed across the table. 

“We definitely have to get a manicure. That’s a must.” Crowe flashed a smile to Nyx before looking back at Mia. “And then we can stuff ourselves with amazing food and then go get drinks. How does that sound?” 

“I am in.”

\---------------------

The news constantly covered the talks of The Treaty every single day. Everywhere the citizens walked, the reports were flashed in front of them. There was no avoiding it and there was something off about it but no one dared to question it. Most of Insomnia turned their fear into excitement and ignored the existential dread of it all. There were hushed talks about Lady Lunafreya coming to the city with the Imperial Army. Nyx was reassigned quickly from border patrol and spent an entire evening talking to Mia about how strange Lunafreya was even though he felt a sense of calm being around her. 

The papers headlined Noctis and Lunafreya’s arranged marriage, one that would unite Eos together. One of the tabloids Mia picked up on her walk to work detailed Noct’s road trip with some of his best friends, Gladio included. She had a few minutes to spare and started to flip through the pages in a rush to find the story. The photograph that made the centerfold was of Prompto, Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio in Hammerhead which Mia knew was just outside of Insomnia. Her eyes moved across the photo and ignored everyone else as she stood in the middle of the sidewalk. When she saw Gladio, pixelated from the rushed cellphone shot, her heart sank. He didn’t look as happy as she had expected. Two fingers ran across the page over his face before closing the magazine shut and placing it back on the newsstand. Was he ever going to talk to her again? 

Mia and Nyx’s conversations of the future were pulled instantly and they spent every evening wondering and watching. It was easy for Mia to make it clear that she didn’t like any of it and that she was starting to become fearful of the fate of the city. Nyx argued in favor of King Regis but understood her points. They knew that the situation would come to a head eventually and that they had one another to get by. 

What they didn’t know was that Crowe would return in a body bag shortly after she promised she would be home. 

Libertas reacted normally, completely unaware of the situation. Nyx told Mia about how he tried to hold him back and stop him from entering the room. How he tried to halt the situation before it escalated. But, Libertas was headstrong and he didn’t stop until he saw Crowe, dead, in the middle of the room. Nyx watched Libertas scream, crying on top of Crowe’s dead body, and begged for the gods to bring her back. He held the box of her items and was hesitant in allowing Libertas to see them. There was nothing he could do to stop the pain and the heartache that came along with it. All he could do was be there for his friend and try to explain the situation as best as he could. But, Libertas was hurt and angry and Nyx couldn’t fix that if he tried. He wanted to, of course, but everything he said fell on deaf ears. All he could do was express his feelings to Mia in confidence and hope that she understood the tough position he was in. 

Mia and Nyx drank in silence that evening, not talking about more than what needed to be discussed. They exchanged warm glances to one another but allowed each other to process. The sounds of the city were slightly muted around them as they filled their cups up, one after the other, and just allowed one another to grieve. There was nothing either of them could do to make the situation any better. Both were terrified for Libertas and what he would do in response. Mia couldn’t disagree with Nyx when he suggested that Libertas would do something that was brash and completely not thought through. The question was what it would end up being. 

“Hey.” Nyx broke the silence and looked up from staring at his empty copper glass. 

“Hey.” 

Nyx took in a sharp breath. “I want to propose something to you. I don’t want you to think you need to do anything for me though, okay? It’s your choice.” 

Mia’s stomach turned in knots. “Okay.” 

“I know we talked about going to Lestallum together this winter,” Nyx tilted the cup on the bottom and averted his eyes away from Mia. “I have a proposition and I just think it’s the best thing we can do.”

“What is that?”

“I want you to go to Lestallum tomorrow.”

“I am sorry?” Mia raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Let me explain. I would feel better if you were out of this city tomorrow. Crowe’s death wasn’t accidental or was it coincidental. The Empire enters the city and everything is shifting. The Glaive is split in half. Crowe comes back from a simple extraction mission as if she was fighting for her life. They found her, buried. I don’t think that this city is safe for right now. I am not going to force you, but I want you to consider it. Please.” 

“Nyx, I don’t want to leave without you.” 

“I can’t protect you if something happens tomorrow, Mia,” His eyes shifted up to meet hers, the lights reflecting in his eyes. “Please. Consider it.” 

“I can protect myself, thank you.” 

“I can’t lose someone else this week, Mia. Please consider it.” Nyx’s hands wrapped around her free fingers and squeezed tightly as his statements shifted into begging. His serious tone was one that Mia had never heard before and it started to break with every other word. “I promise that as soon as tomorrow is over and this stupid treaty is done, I will come to Lestallum. No work. No Glaive. You and me in the middle of Lestallum in the market. I don’t want to be anywhere else. No one will stop me from coming to you, okay?” 

The sounds of the city were starting to swirl with Mia’s spiral of a brain. Her eyes fluttered shut as she took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. On one hand, she could stay in Insomnia and run the risk of Nyx having to protect too much and be stretched too thin. However, with Crowe’s death, the city had shifted so much that even Mia noticed. Through the drunken haze, she considered that maybe being away from Insomnia for a little bit would give her a nice headspace. She could make it a little road trip for herself and unpack the recent events by herself. It would also help Nyx focus and make sure to keep the city safe. The Empire wouldn’t be stupid enough to even think to try to hurt anyone when they were in King Regis’s city. The Wall would never go down. It had kept Insomnia safe for years that it wasn’t going to change now. 

“I’ll go.” Mia finally said, giving a small smile to Nyx. His forehead found the top of their tangled fingers and he gently kissed her knuckles. 

“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” Nyx paused, shaking his head. “I will just feel better knowing you’re out of the city if something happens. I know you’re a tough girl, Mia, but this takes a huge weight off my chest. With whispers about the resistance and the Glaive being so divided, I just don’t know what tomorrow will bring. If you were hurt, I can’t promise I would be able to control myself. I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose you.” 

“You gotta be safe, too, hero. You will call me immediately waking up in two days from now, okay? I just want to know you’re okay and you’re on the way to Lestallum. I promise I won’t bug you otherwise.” 

“Deal. Remember, though, to stay somewhere safe at night, alright? No matter how tough you are, the deamons out there are much tougher.” 

“I will. Even Gladdy -- ” Mia paused, biting her bottom lip. The photograph she saw earlier that week came rushing back and she pushed it out of her mind. There was a quick beat before she corrected herself. “I am aware of the dangers from all the books I read with Ignis. I know that no one should even think twice about being somewhere safe for the evening. I will text you before bed every night to be safe. I should be able to make it in about two days, tops.” 

“We should get moving then. You’ll need to pack for a few days.”

“I also don’t want to be hungover tomorrow, either.” Mia weakly grinned.

\---------------------

After an evening of being wrapped entirely in one another and making the neighbors jealous through their cries for eachother, Mia was packed and ready for her trip to Lestallum. Nyx struggled with wanting to express his need for her. While helping her pack her bags in the early morning, he pushed down all want or need for her to stay. It was for the best and while he wanted to say more, he just silently packed her belongings with her. Each fold forced down the feeling to express that he needed her and each time he placed an item in her luggage meant that he was ignoring how he truly felt. When they finished packing, the light from the sun was peaking over the city and enveloping the buildings in its glow. The sound of zipping the bag tightly closed pained Nyx and he struggled with seeing Mia ready for an adventure.

“I’ll miss you.” He mustered out, finally, pulling Mia’s baggage off her bed. 

“I’ll miss you, too, Nyx.”

“I promise I’ll call you tomorrow. First thing.” He was confident in his deal, not flinching from the potential possibility that he might have to break it. “Just text me when you’re at your first stop. I might not respond right away but I’ll read it.” 

“Hammerhead. Alstor Slough. Lestallum. I will text you every single evening. I promise.” 

“Three texts. I’ll wait for every single one.” 

Mia started to pull up the handle on her roller baggage. “Every single one.” 

There was a moment of silence before Nyx leaned down to kiss her gently. He couldn’t pull away from her, not yet, and stood there while taking in every piece of the moment they were sharing. Mia stood unmoved and pressed her toes into the ground as she pushed herself upwards to return Nyx’s kiss. There was nothing sexual or wanting about it. Instead, it was intimate and private. A preview into their relationship as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close to his chest. She wanted this moment to last forever but she knew that if she didn’t leave soon, it would be too late. A moment where she could feel safe, if for one more time, before leaving her comfort behind. When Nyx pulled back, he smirked confidently. 

“Go. Before I keep you here.”

“I’ll see you in three days.” The words rolled off Mia’s tongue, knowing that he would be with her again in a short amount of time. 

“Three days. Go. Before I change my mind.” 

If Mia could count the times she paused on the way to the car, she would have. There were moments where she decided that she would rather die with Nyx but she knew that he didn’t want to bring that burden upon either of them. Each movement was slow when she reached her beat up old car. Pulling her suitcase into the trunk was even a hassle. What if she overpacked? What if she was overthinking everything? Would she need to stay in Insomnia? Could she fight with Nyx to continue their relationship? Whatever the answer was, she wouldn’t know until three days’ time.

Even starting the car was a huge task. She sat there with the keys in the ignition of her car and breathed heavily. It was only for a few days. Nyx would be with her in Lestallum in a few short days. All she had to do was drive. After a few minutes of talking herself into it, she turned the keys until the engine roared in response. She had not touched her car since she came in from Lestallum and it showed. The entire situation was bittersweet in that moment when the lights on her dashboard came on and the radio didn’t flip to breathe out audio. It was an old, beat up car. But, it was her old, beat up car. It would only take a few minutes before she backed out of her parking spot and start driving towards the rest of Eos. If she didn’t leave soon, she would stay with Nyx forever which she only could imagine would be torture for him.

As her apartment faded in her rearview mirror, Mia’s eyes focused on the road ahead of her. It would take two days to get to Lestallum and the journey was all but over for her. Little did she know, Gladio was not too far away and waiting to have the discussion she had been waiting for.

\---------------------

To be continued.


End file.
